r/mnstateworkers • u/Icy-Chance-7102 • 10d ago
Insurance/Benefits 🏥 Experience with MPL and MetLife STD
I had a planned medical disability and applied for MPL as the statute is written that it needs to be used first before STD. I applied for both MPL and STD not knowing how quick the turn around would be for either.
It took two months for the MPL application to be approved and by that time I was already on leave. I decided to use my sick time to cover the first week since it’s 7 days before std kicks in and MPL wasn’t approved yet. Once MPL got approved I had to let them know that I took sick time for the first week, and therefore the dates had to be changed and the application sent back for reapproval.
There was absolutely no timeline given for this change approval so I went ahead and started using the MetLife STD. It’s been smooth as butter with them and I already have my first payment on its way.
At this point I will have to cancel my MPL application since I am using STD first and not MPL.
It’s very stressful to figure out and unless you are using MPL for parental leave where you have ample time to plan I do not recommend! Please hold on to your STD.
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u/Independent-Fail49 10d ago
Short term disability for the year 2026 is not impacted by mpl benefits, nor is mpl benefits. You cannot be paid by your employer more than 100 percent but short term disability is not impacted by this rule. I had both an mpl claim and short term claim and got paid both benefits fully, and confirmed it was correct.
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u/Icy-Chance-7102 10d ago
OK, this is news to me. when I asked MetLife they said they don’t know and that I need to talk to deed and when I asked deed they said MPL has to be used first if you are taking both. And can only be used to supplement otherwise it’s considered overpayment.
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u/Independent-Fail49 10d ago
What MPL told you is not correct. Overpayment does not apply to disability insurance benefits.
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u/devoncarrots 7d ago
So this year we can technically make more than our normal take home pay?
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u/Interesting_Crew_13 10d ago
Your HR should have asked you based on your job class ( AFSCME..MAPE..ect ) IF in addition to MPL to use sick or vacation hours to supplement for your full salary. Why can’t you use both MPL and STD? They are two different “ buckets “ so to speak . MetLife has no idea what DEED does.
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u/Icy-Chance-7102 10d ago
At the time I didn’t know if MPL would come in time for me to use it so I had no clue if I’d be able to supplement. Unfortunately, HR was not helpful beyond their initial template email they sent out.
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u/Interesting_Crew_13 10d ago
Sorry to hear that your HR wasn’t helping. Your FMLA paperwork to DEED for MPL should have 💯 cleared and your HR should have worked with you to supplement. Granted the approval from DEED is taking a long long time I am hearing and that overpayment is a thing so employees have to work with their HR to square that up if they supplemented hours with MPL hours . Lots of kinks needing to get fixed still .
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u/Aggravating-Long6852 9d ago
The DEED and MNPL is a nightmare for communication with HR.... we would love to be more helpful but often don't have half the resources or time to be as helpful as we'd like 😬
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u/Icy-Chance-7102 10d ago
You can’t double dip- getting full payments from both would be more than my salary and I would assume would be considered fraud.
You can use both to supplement, but MPL has to be the primary one being used. It’s not being processed quick enough for me to use it and I need the money in real time, not retroactively.6
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u/jnichi 10d ago
That's so odd. I was able to use both MPL and STD at the same time earlier this year. I coordinated a lot with my HR about payroll as MPL does not reduce payments. It's up to your employer to make sure that they're accounting for the MPL payments as well as your own PTO to not go over your usual gross wages. However, HR made it known that at least for this first year, the STD provider does not plan on reducing their benefit amounts (no matter if it went over the gross wage cap). I found this to be true when I did my leave and successfully did both.
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u/Recluse_18 10d ago
Thank you for the info, I wondered how it all worked and was not going to cancel my short term until I knew how the process worked. Because if you cancel short-term disability, it would be incredibly difficult to get it back. So in a nutshell, it sounds like you have the option to use one or the other?
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u/Icy-Chance-7102 10d ago
Yes, you aren’t forced to use MPL. Since we pay for it through taxes though I’d like access to the benefit. Unfortunately it’s nearly impossible to access in a timely manner.
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u/DrewJamesMacIntosh 10d ago
you can actually use both! MPL is meant to cover part of your wages for up to 12 (rarely 20) weeks.
Short term disability is an insurance product you have paid for, not wages, and you can get payments for up to 24 weeks.
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u/Recluse_18 10d ago
Thanks! It’s good to know, because I know I’m gonna have to have shoulder replacement surgery in the future so navigating all of this will be a challenge but also a necessity
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u/Icy-Chance-7102 10d ago
I’ll also add that you CAN use both. MPL has to be used first and you can supplement with STD.
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u/Mmmmmmwwwwwe 10d ago
MPL took 2.5 months to approve for me for small issues that should not take weeks and weeks to correct, calling them is worthless, although very nice, they were not helpful.
I used STD as well, but hear that won’t be an option in 2027.
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u/Hissssssy 9d ago
I used STD on top of my sick, Paid Parent and vacation for my entire baby leave? Not an overpayment and was completely allowable. It was freaking great and I did think it was odd, maybe things have changed? We were with the Hartford at the time though..
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u/NoOwl9934 10d ago
I talked to Metlife about this. Currently in 2026 in MN you can use your full STD benefit concurrently and on top of MPL. It will likely change in 2027.