Today The Hartford launched DisabilityFLEXsm, voluntary group disability insurance that allows employees to customize their income protection in three key ways - how much money they receive, when, and for how long if they are unable to work due to an off-the-job injury or illness.

The Hartford's research found 86 percent of consumers say it is important to be able to customize al ...

The Hartford's research found 86 percent of consumers say it is important to be able to customize all their benefits to fit their individual lifestyle. (Photo: Business Wire)

The benefits provider also released research that found a majority of consumers - 86 percent - say it is important to be able to customize all their benefits to fit their individual lifestyle.

"Consumers today can customize everything - from music and TV to clothing and cars, and our recent survey shows they want to customize their benefits, too," said Mike Fish, vice president of voluntary benefits with The Hartford.

In The Hartford's December 2012 survey, 76 percent of consumers said it's important for them to design their own disability insurance instead of a one-size-fits-all coverage chosen by their employer. Also, 82 percent of consumers said they would likely sign up for a disability plan that allows them the opportunity to choose the amount of their weekly payment.

With DisabilityFLEX, employees create their own income protection by making choices about:

  • Benefit amount - How much the employee will receive as a weekly flat dollar amount, from $200 to $1,000;
  • Start date - When the employee begins receiving the benefit, from eight to 30 days after a non-work-related injury or illness that is covered by the plan; and
  • Duration - How long the employee will receive the benefit, up to 104 weeks.

"Like standard short-term disability insurance, DisabilityFLEX is designed to help protect an employee's paycheck, but there are key differences," Fish added. "For example, if you're disabled and not working, your benefit will not be reduced by other income. The amount that you select is the amount that you will receive."

The Hartford is offering DisabilityFLEX, which is fully funded by employees, to companies with 50 to 999 people, with a variety of incomes. Beginning in May, the flexible coverage will be available to companies with more than 1,000 employees.

"Today, more businesses are asking their employees to pay for their disability coverage," Fish said. "With DisabilityFLEX, benefits managers can be confident they are offering their employees insurance that is affordable, understandable, and customizable."

DisabilityFLEX joins The Hartford's suite of voluntary products that includes group life, standard short- and long-term disability, and accidental death & dismemberment insurance. A leader in group life and disability insurance,1 The Hartford also offers educational tools and resources to help employees better understand their benefits choices and make informed decisions. For more information, contact your Hartford sales representative.

Survey Methodology

The Hartford developed the survey, which was conducted online by TNS Omnibus among a national sample of 1,456 full-time U.S. workers over the age of 18 in December 2012. The margin of error is of +/- 2.6 percent for the national sample. TNS is a global market information company that conducts Omnibus surveys every week.

About The Hartford

With more than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is a leader in property and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. The company is widely recognized for its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and integrity. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.

The Hartford® is The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including issuing companies Hartford Life Insurance Company and Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Company. Policies sold in New York are underwritten by Hartford Life Insurance Company. The headquarters of both companies is Simsbury, Conn.

HIG-M

Some of the statements in this release may be considered forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ. These important risks and uncertainties include those discussed in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K and the other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of the date issued.

1. LIMRA's U.S. Group Disability and Life Sales Report, 2011 full-year results; based on sales and in-force premium

The Hartford
Kelly J. Carter, 860-843-9420
kelly.carter@thehartford.com
or
Michelle Loxton, 860-547-7413
Michelle.loxton@thehartford.com