OneAmerica Guide Aims to Demystify Disability Insurance for Workers

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – May 18, 2026 – In an effort to combat widespread employee confusion over group disability benefits, OneAmerica Financial has launched a comprehensive digital resource designed to empower workers with clarity and confidence. The new "Your Guide to Group Disability Insurance" provides a step-by-step roadmap for a financial product that is often misunderstood until it is critically needed.

The initiative responds directly to a documented gap in employee understanding. A 2024 study by the insurance research organization LIMRA revealed that while employees generally feel confident about their medical and retirement benefits, their comprehension of group disability insurance is significantly lower. This knowledge deficit can lead to critical errors during the claims process, potentially causing payment delays and adding immense stress to an already difficult time.

Bridging the Benefits Knowledge Gap

For millions of employees, employer-sponsored benefits are a cornerstone of financial security. Yet, the complexity of insurance policies can create a barrier to effective use. OneAmerica Financial's new digital guide aims to dismantle that barrier by providing accessible, jargon-free information.

"Consumers want help understanding what to expect, how to prepare," said Joe Ingream, president of Employee Benefits for OneAmerica Financial, in a statement announcing the launch. "Our goal is to provide a digital resource to help augment education around group disability protection and bring clarity to the process. This can empower them to focus more on healing during a challenging disability."

The guide is structured to be a proactive educational tool, not just a reactive claims portal. By making the resource publicly available at no cost—even to those who are not OneAmerica Financial clients—the company is positioning the initiative as a broader effort to improve financial literacy around a vital but often overlooked safety net.

A Digital Roadmap for a Difficult Journey

Navigating a disability is a profound life event, marked by physical, emotional, and financial challenges. The new guide is designed to serve as a steady companion through this journey, breaking down the process into five manageable stages.

• Know Before You Need: This foundational section provides proactive education, helping individuals understand what disability insurance is, how it works, and why it matters long before an illness or injury occurs.
• Navigating the Process: When a claim becomes necessary, this section offers step-by-step direction, outlining what to expect, the key information required, and who to contact for support.
• Managing Finances: To address one of the biggest sources of anxiety, this part offers guidance and tools for maintaining financial stability during a short- or long-term disability.
• Proceeding With Confidence: This section focuses on the recovery phase, offering insights into navigating a return to work and rebuilding daily routines after a disability.
• Toolkit: A practical collection of resources, including a glossary of key terms and checklists, helps ensure users remain supported and informed.

"When someone needs to file a group disability claim, they're not just managing appointments, paperwork and daily life — they're navigating a moment of change," noted Chris Coburn, vice president, Employee Benefits Product and Underwriting at OneAmerica Financial. "This time-saving digital resource is designed to help consumers move through the process, stay organized and identify resources they may need along the way."

A Strategic Shift in a Digital-First Industry

The launch is not an isolated event but the latest move in OneAmerica Financial's multi-year digital transformation strategy. It follows the 2025 release of a digital guide for beneficiaries navigating life insurance claims and a 2023 overhaul of its Evidence of Insurability (EOI) process to be 100% digital. This pattern demonstrates a clear commitment to leveraging technology to simplify complex financial processes and enhance customer education.

This educational focus helps differentiate the company in a competitive market. While major competitors like Unum and Lincoln Financial offer robust digital portals for filing and managing claims, OneAmerica's guide is framed as a holistic educational platform. Its emphasis on pre-claim knowledge and process transparency is a strategic choice aimed at building trust and empowering consumers from the very beginning of their benefits journey. This shift from a claims-centric to an education-centric digital experience reflects a broader trend in the insurance industry toward proactive customer engagement and service.

The Employer's Advantage in Employee Wellness

While the guide is aimed at individual employees, its benefits extend directly to employers. In today's tight labor market, companies are increasingly focused on holistic employee well-being, which encompasses physical, mental, and financial health. Disability insurance is a critical component of financial wellness, providing an income safety net during life's most unpredictable moments.

However, a benefit is only as valuable as an employee's ability to understand and use it. By providing a clear, accessible resource like the OneAmerica guide, employers can help bridge the understanding gap without needing to become insurance experts themselves. This can lead to increased employee satisfaction and appreciation for their benefits package, a key factor in talent retention.

Furthermore, empowering employees with this knowledge can reduce the administrative burden on Human Resources departments, which often bear the brunt of questions and concerns from employees navigating the claims process. As companies continue to invest in financial wellness programs, tools that improve benefits literacy are becoming a must-have, ensuring the significant investment in employee benefits yields its intended security and peace of mind for the workforce.