Have you heard about the Wisconsin Public Employers (WPE) Income Continuation Insurance Program? This program is authorized by the Group Insurance Board and available to local employers participating in the Wisconsin Retirement System.

Now is a great time to consider offering this benefit to your employees. The Group Insurance Board has extended the Income Continuation Insurance (ICI) Program premium holiday for 2023, based on the strong financial position of the local ICI plan. This means that employers and employees will not pay premiums for either standard or supplemental ICI coverage. There has been a premium holiday since January of 2012 due to the strong financial status of the local ICI Program.

The program is administered by the Department of Employee Trust Funds and offers the following benefits:

  • Continued income for employees on leave of absence due to illness or injury of extended duration.
  • Two levels of coverage:
    • Standard, which covers up to $64,000 in annual income, and
    • Supplemental, which covers up to $120,000 in income. Supplemental is 100% employee paid when not on premium holiday.

Who will pay the premium when the holiday ends?

The total ICI premiums are based on an employee’s average monthly earnings in the preceding calendar year (or projected average monthly earnings for those employees noted in subchapter 400 of the Income Continuation Insurance Administration Manual (ET-1145)) and the employee’s selected elimination period. Employers must pay a minimum contribution equal to the total premium for the 180-day elimination period.  An employer may elect to contribute a greater amount toward the total premium for any other elimination period selected by the employee.

An employee who is eligible for and elects supplemental ICI coverage must pay the entire premium. Employers cannot contribute to the supplemental ICI premium. During the premium holiday, no premiums are due from either the employee or the employer.

Participation Process

To join the WPE ICI program, employers must file a resolution 90 days prior to the date they wish to begin offering the coverage. Coverage always begins on the first of a month. For more information on this process, please review the How to Become a Participating Employer Under the Wisconsin Public Employers Group Income Continuation Insurance Program (ET-1140) manual.

Conclusion

As a participating employer in the WPE ICI program, your employees enjoy peace of mind knowing that they have a benefit which protects them from unexpected loss of income due to an illness or injury with a long recovery time. And the best part is that it is currently a free benefit for local employers and their employees.

Contact ETF if you would like to learn more at etfsmbessnewemployer@etf.wi.gov or call 1-877-533-5020 and select option 2.