The Basics
Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance is private insurance that replaces some of your income if you can't work because of an injury or illness. LTD is important because it can ease the financial burden on a household when someone has a serious illness or injury. Talk to your Human Resources department to see if your job offers LTD coverage as a benefit.
The main difference between disability income insurance and Workers’ Compensation insurance is that for disability income insurance, the injury or illness does not need to be work-related.
There are two types of private disability income insurance:
- Long-Term Disability (LTD) pays you a portion of your income for a long period of time. Depending on your plan, LTD may pay you for a specific number of years, like two years or five years, or until you turn a specific age, like 65. LTD is explained in detail in this article.
- Short-Term Disability (STD) pays you a portion of your income for a short period of time. Depending on your plan, STD generally lasts between nine and 52 weeks (or one year). To learn more, read DB101's article about STD.
With LTD, the amount of time you can get benefits and the dollar amount the benefits give you can vary significantly.
Some employers offer group disability income insurance policies as part of their benefits packages. If your employer does not offer LTD or if you want more coverage, you can buy an individual policy from an insurance agent. Each insurance policy has different features. You can get more information about your Long-Term Disability Insurance plan from your employer’s Human Resources department, if you get your coverage through your job, or from your insurance agent if you have an individual policy.
Long-Term Disability (STD) Insurance is not a government benefit, and it is not connected to any public benefit program. It is private insurance coverage that you get through a private company.
To find out if you have LTD coverage through your employer, talk to your Human Resources person. To sign up for an individual policy, contact an insurance company or insurance agent.
Note: If you are looking for information about Social Security benefits for people with disabilities, see DB101's Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) article and DB101's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) article.
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Overview
Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance helps replace some of your income for an extended period when you cannot work at all or can only work part-time because of a disability.
To be covered by LTD, you or your employer must pay a monthly premium. When an illness or injury prevents you from working and you are running out of Short-Term Disability (STD) Insurance, you apply for benefits by speaking with your Human Resources representative (if you have a group policy) or your insurance company or agent (if you have an individual policy).
LTD policies require documentation from your doctor that explains your condition; says why you are unable to perform the functions of any job for which you are reasonably qualified based on your training, education, or experience; says that you cannot do any other job that pays a specified percentage of what you used to earn; and estimates how long you will be unable to work. There will be a waiting period between the date you leave work and the date you actually get your benefits. Depending on your plan, the waiting period can be anywhere between 90 days and a year before LTD benefits are paid.
Once the waiting period is over, you will generally get a set percentage of the wages you earned before you were disabled. Although the amount varies, payments are generally around 60% of your previous wage. For example, if you were paid $2,000 per month at work and your policy pays 60% of pre-disability earnings, you will get $1,200 in benefits per month. Depending on your LTD policy, you may get benefits for a set number of years, like two years or five years, or until a certain age, like 65.
After or during your LTD benefits period, you may want to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or other cash benefits programs. Most LTD policies require that you apply for SSDI.
If you are enrolled in SSDI or SSI while also being enrolled in LTD, your LTD benefits may be reduced. The advantage of being enrolled in SSDI or SSI while getting LTD is that they can help you become eligible for Medicare or Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) health benefits, which are not covered by LTD.
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Eligibility and Application
Where to Sign Up
If your employer offers Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance, you can sign up by contacting your employer’s Human Resources department.
If you don’t have an employer that offers LTD, you can apply for coverage:
- Through a trade union, alumni organization, or other professional organization you are a member of if they offer group plans
- With an insurance agent if you want an individual plan
Group Coverage and Individual Coverage
Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance you get through an employer, union, or other professional organization is known as group coverage and is your best option. To get coverage through your employer, you usually need to be working a minimum number of hours per week. This is called the “active work requirement.”
Another option is to purchase individual coverage directly from an insurance company or agent. The main reason for getting an individual policy is if you work for an employer that does not offer any LTD policy.
Getting an individual policy is a little more complicated than getting a group policy. You will have to look at different factors before you choose a policy and undergo medical underwriting. You may be denied coverage. These and other issues related to finding and choosing an individual policy are discussed below.
Major Differences in Policies
If you purchase an individual policy, you will pay a monthly premium for your Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance. The premium depends on many factors, including your age, your health, the type of work you did when you first signed up for LTD, and the length of the waiting period.
If you have a group LTD policy, ask your Human Resources department about your plan’s waiting period, coverage amount, and benefits period:
- Waiting Period: Sometimes called the elimination period. This is the period between the start of your disability and when you are paid your benefits. Generally, policies with longer waiting periods are cheaper. For LTD plans, the waiting period is usually between 30 days (one month) to a year (12 months) after the disability has occurred. Some policies allow you to choose the waiting period.
- Benefits Rates: Most policies pay about 60% of the income you made prior to becoming disabled. If you get an individual policy, you may be able to pay more and get a policy that will pay a higher rate if you become disabled. Think about how much money you believe you would need to pay for your essential monthly expenses, such as your mortgage payments or rent, food, utilities, and transportation, if you couldn’t work. Remember that if you develop a disability, you may also have additional medical costs. Try to get a plan that you think will cover your expenses.
- Benefits Period: The benefits period is the amount of time that you get benefits if you become disabled. For LTD policies, the benefits period can vary between a set number of years, such as two years or five years, or it can be until you reach a certain age, such as 65.
Medical History and Pre-Existing Conditions
When you sign up for LTD insurance, the insurance provider will look at your medical history. Insurers look at your medical history differently, depending on whether you are signing up for group coverage or applying for individual coverage.
Group Coverage
For employer-sponsored coverage, you will be allowed to sign up for the plan during an initial enrollment period. During this period, the insurance company cannot deny you coverage based upon a pre-existing condition, so it is very important to sign up then.
If you have a pre-existing condition when you sign up for your group plan, you may be required to work for a certain period of time before that pre-existing condition is covered by your insurance policy. This period of time is generally between 12 months (one year) and 24 months (two years) and is called an exclusionary period.
If you do not sign up during the initial enrollment period, you may have to undergo medical underwriting. The insurance company may review your medical records to find out if you have a pre-existing condition or are getting treatment for a potentially disabling condition. Treatment can include advice from a doctor or a medication. If the insurance company finds that you do have a health condition or have been treated for one, the insurance company can deny you coverage, not cover those conditions, or have an exclusionary period for your conditions.
Similar rules apply to other types of group coverage that are not employment-based (like group policies through a trade union or professional organization). There may be specific periods of enrollment, insurance companies may be able to deny coverage based on health conditions, and there may be exclusionary periods for pre-existing conditions.
Individual Coverage
If you want individual coverage because you do not have access to group coverage or because your group coverage offers small cash benefits or doesn’t give you benefits for long enough if you do become disabled, you will also have to undergo medical underwriting.
The insurance company will review your application and may request and review your medical records to find out if you have a pre-existing condition or are getting treatment (including advice from a doctor or taking a medication) for a potentially disabling condition. If the insurance company decides that you do have a health condition or have been treated for one, they can refuse to sell you an LTD policy, sell you a policy that doesn't cover those conditions or that has an exclusionary period for your conditions.
When to Sign Up
The sooner you sign up for disability income insurance, the better. With employer-sponsored plans, you should sign up during your pre-enrollment period, also called the initial enrollment period. With other group policies, you may have to be a member of the group for a period of time before you can in enroll in the plan. Once you become eligible to enroll, sign up as quickly as you can to avoid exclusionary periods or the exclusion of specific conditions.
Some employers will only offer disability income insurance policies after you have worked for them for a set period of time called a service wait, or a minimum service requirement (for example, you may have to wait six months before you can enroll). Some policies also pay higher benefits for people who have worked for longer periods.
Service waits are also common for group plans that are offered by unions and other organizations. Your eligibility to enroll may depend on how long you have been a member of the group.
If you are interested in purchasing an individual policy, you should apply as young as possible. Young people pay lower premiums and if you purchase disability income insurance at a young age, you may be able to get a noncancelable policy, meaning that your coverage can’t be canceled. You also may be able to get a policy where your premiums can’t be raised as long as you pay your premiums on time.
If you have a dispute with a disability income insurance provider, you can file a complaint with the Arizona Department of Insurance. You can file a complaint if you:
- Believe you were wrongly denied disability income insurance coverage
- Disagree with the medical underwriting based on a pre-existing condition, or
- Believe that any other terms or conditions of your disability income insurance plan violate Arizona law.
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Benefits
Getting Benefits
If you get injured or become ill, contact your Human Resources department (if you have a group policy) or your insurance company or agent (if you have an individual policy) as soon as possible to begin the application process. You are eligible to get disability benefits if you cannot work for any health-related reason; your injury or illness does not have to be work-related.
Once you apply for cash benefits from your disability income insurance plan, there is usually a waiting period before you can begin to get benefits. For Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance, the waiting period typically is at least 30 days. Usually, it is longer and can be up to a year. Many disability income insurance policies offer shorter or longer waiting periods. Generally, the lower your premium, the longer the waiting period will be.
If your claim is approved, once the waiting period is complete, you should get your benefits about a month later.
The Benefits
Each policy has a different way of figuring out how much money you will get. Some send you a set dollar amount, while others give you a percentage of the wages you made before becoming disabled. Depending on your plan, bonuses, tips, and commissions from your job may or may not be included in the calculation of your wages.
Depending on how your disability income insurance is paid for, your benefits may or may not be taxed when you get them. If your employer paid your premium, you usually will have to pay taxes on your benefits. If you paid for an individual policy with your own taxed income, you probably won’t have to pay taxes on the benefits. Contact your income tax professional or Human Resources department for more information.
Public Disability Benefits
While you are getting private disability benefits, you may want to apply for public benefits like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). For example, if you know that your LTD will soon end, it is important for you to apply for SSDI as soon as possible.
If you get benefits from other programs, like SSDI or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), at the same time as you get LTD, most private disability income insurance policies will reduce your benefits by the amount those benefits programs pay you. For example, if your LTD benefits check is $2,000 per month and you begin to get $800 in SSDI benefits per month, your LTD benefits will be reduced to $1,200 a month.
Some LTD policies even require you to apply for SSDI. Once you are approved for SSDI benefits, your private disability income insurance benefits may not be automatically or immediately reduced. As a result, your disability income insurance policy provider may overpay you. If you are overpaid, you will be required to pay back the difference.
The advantage of being enrolled in SSDI or SSI while getting LTD is that they can make you eligible for Medicare or the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), health coverage that isn’t supplied by disability income insurance.
Health Coverage
LTD insurance gives you money, not health coverage. For the first 12 weeks that you are unable to work due to a medical condition, you may still be entitled to be covered by your employer's benefits (including your employer's health plan) under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). For more details, read DB101's article about FMLA.
After the 12 weeks of leave, your employer has the right to let you go if you are still unable to return to work. If you want to continue to get your health coverage through your employer’s health plan after you are laid off, you may be able to continue that coverage by paying out of pocket for COBRA.
Another option for private health coverage is to find an individual plan on HealthCare.gov. Depending on your situation, the government may help pay for your premium for an individual plan through tax subsidies. Or, you may become eligible for public health coverage like AHCCCS or Medicare. To learn more about different health coverage possibilities, see DB101's Health Care Coverage section.
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Other Disability Insurance Policy Options
In addition to different waiting periods, benefits periods, and benefits rates, which are described earlier in this article, Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance policies can vary in other aspects. These details are important because they can have a major impact on your benefits if you become disabled.
Definition of Disability
Disability income insurance providers think about disability in two ways:
- Own-Occupation Disability (or “Own Occ”) means your disability prevents you from performing your own occupation, which means that you are unable to do the work or job you have been trained to do and have experience in.
-
Any-Occupation Disability (or “Any Occ”) means your disability prevents you from performing any occupation
- Sometimes Any Occ means that your disability prevents you from performing any occupation that pays at least a specified percentage of what you earned before your disability.
Own-occupation insurance policies pay you if you are unable to perform your own occupation, even if you are able to get a different type of job. They have higher premiums than policies that require you to be unable to perform any occupation.
Trial Work Period
Policies may allow you to return to work on a trial basis. For example, your policy may give you a two-week trial period. If you go back to work for less than two weeks and then find that you can’t do your job because of your disability, the policy would allow you to continue your benefits as if you hadn’t returned to work. If you are able to return to work and then you find that the same disability again prevents you from doing your job, your policy may or may not require another waiting period.
Part-Time Work
Some plans allow you to return to work part-time while continuing to pay your benefits. This is usually referred to as a “residual” or “loss of earnings” benefit. When an employee returns to work part-time, wages for hours worked are paid by the employer and LTD replaces the regular hours not worked at the pay replacement level.
For example, if you worked eight hours per day before your disability, and you are able to return to work four hours a day, the disability income insurance policy may replace some of your income for the other four hours.
Changes to Your Premium
Under noncancelable policies, your policy cannot be canceled as long as the required premiums are paid on time.
Under guaranteed renewable policies, your premium can be raised, but only if the change affects an entire class of policyholders. Initial premiums for guaranteed renewable policies can be less expensive than noncancelable policies.
Other less expensive policies that don’t have premium or renewability guarantees are also sometimes available.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
Some LTD policies allow you to buy a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) to add to your basic disability income coverage. This additional benefit raises the income you get from your insurer by a certain percent each year. For example, if you become disabled and are unable to work, the COLA will gradually raise your benefits to match the higher prices of rent, food, utilities, medical, and other expenses.
Many policies don’t include a COLA, but do allow you to buy additional coverage over time as your household expenses go up. However, if you do this, you may have to undergo additional medical underwriting.
Exclusions
Many policies will not cover disabilities caused by suicide attempts, drug abuse, war, or attempts to commit a crime. Pre-existing conditions are also frequently excluded, as was discussed earlier in this article. On-the-job injuries, which are covered by Workers’ Compensation insurance, are also not covered.
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Example
John’s Story
John is unemployed. In January 2010, he goes to the doctor because his back is hurting. The doctor prescribes some painkillers and sends him home to rest. In February, John gets a job and signs up for Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance.
A month later, he gets a letter from the insurance company about his LTD. It explains that he will have a two-month service wait. This means that he will have LTD coverage starting April 1, 2010 (two months after the date he was hired). So, if John is injured between February and April, he will not be able to apply for LTD benefits. The LTD policy is an Any Occ policy, which means that John has to be unable to work in his any occupation to be defined as disabled to get benefits.
The letter from the insurance company goes on to explain that John’s back injury is a pre-existing condition, and that he will have a one-year exclusionary period. The exclusionary period begins on the same day of his coverage, April 1, 2010. If he becomes disabled due to his back injury between April 1, 2010, and April 1, 2011, he will not be able to collect LTD benefits.
On May 1, 2011, John hurts his back and can no longer do any type of work due to extreme pain. Initially, he uses sick leave, hoping that his back will get better. When it doesn’t get better, John reviews the terms of the disability income insurance coverage he gets through his employer. Since it has been more than a year since he was hired and the exclusionary period for his back problems is over, John can apply to get LTD benefits.
John knows that it may take a while to get his first LTD check, so he contacts his Human Resources manager. The manager tells him that there’s a 180-day waiting period from the date of disability before his benefits begin. John will start getting his benefits on November 1, 2011.
John was making $2,000 a month before he hurt his back again. His policy pays 50% of pre-disability wages for up to five years, so John will get $1,000 a month from LTD until he is no longer considered disabled or five years have passed, whichever is shorter.
| January 1, 2010 | John goes to the doctor for his back. |
|---|---|
| February 1, 2010 | John is hired and signs up for LTD with a two-month waiting period and one-year pre-existing condition exclusionary period for his back injury. |
|
Feb. 1 – March 31, 2010 |
John is not yet covered by LTD. |
|
April 1, 2010 – April 1, 2011 |
John is covered by LTD, but not for a back injury. |
| April 1, 2011, onwards | John has full LTD coverage. |
| May 1, 2011 | John injures his back and can no longer go to work. He begins using sick leave. |
| September 1, 2011 | John realizes that he will not be able to return to work any time soon. He calls his Human Resources manager and applies for LTD benefits. |
|
May 1 – November 1, 2011 |
The 180-day waiting period where John is not working but is not yet getting benefits. |
| November 1, 2011 | John begins to get his monthly LTD benefits of $1,000. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage offers wage replacement to persons who experience wage loss due to a disability. LTD coverage lasts for at least one year.
What is the difference between Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance and Short-Term Disability (STD) Insurance?
Short-Term Disability (STD) Insurance usually lasts a year or less and you generally get it during the first year after you become disabled. Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance can last for a much longer period of time. LTD benefits may continue for a set number of years, such as five years, or until you reach a certain age, like 65.
How do you get Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
You can get Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage either through a group or individually. Group coverage can be offered by an employer, a professional group, or association. You can buy individual coverage directly from an insurance broker based on medical underwriting.
Is Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance a public benefit?
No. Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance is not a government benefit and is not connected to any public benefit program. It is private insurance that you get through a private company.
To find out if you have LTD coverage through your employer, talk to your Human Resources person. To sign up for an individual policy, contact an insurance company or insurance agent.
If you are looking for information about public Social Security benefits for people with disabilities, see DB101's Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) article and DB101's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) article.
Who is eligible for Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
If you get disability coverage through your employer, you may have to work for the employer for a specified period of time — known as a service wait — before you become eligible for benefits. If you get disability income insurance coverage from a professional group or association, you may have to be a member of the group or association for a set period of time before you become eligible for benefits.
You may buy individual policies directly from an insurance agent based upon medical underwriting. Individual policies are usually available if you have not had any medical treatment for a potentially disabling condition during the past 10 years. Medical treatment includes prescription medications and physician consultations. You may also be denied coverage if you work in a high-risk occupation, are a recreational pilot, or do other activities that the insurer considers risky. Each insurer has its own system for deciding whether or not to offer you coverage.
How soon will I be eligible to enroll in benefits from Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
If you have employer-sponsored disability income insurance coverage, you must meet the active work requirement in order to be eligible to enroll in benefits. If you get disability income insurance coverage through a professional group or association, you must meet their specific requirements to be eligible to enroll in coverage.
How much income replacement will I get from Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
Long-Term Disability ( LTD) coverage means you will get a monthly income replacement that is either a percentage of your pre-disability earnings or a specified dollar amount.
Why should I enroll in group Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage during the initial enrollment period?
The initial enrollment period is the best time to enroll if you have a pre-existing condition. During the initial enrollment period, your medical history is usually not subject to medical underwriting. However, pre-existing condition exclusions may limit or delay the use of coverage.
What is a pre-existing condition exclusionary period in Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
A pre-existing condition is any medical condition for which you were diagnosed, treated, or experienced symptoms of before the coverage effective date. If you apply for an individual plan and you have a pre-existing condition, the insurer may choose not to supply you with Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage.
If the insurer does supply you with coverage, your LTD plan may have a pre-existing condition exclusionary period. During this period of time, your prior medical condition(s) will not be covered by the policy. However, after the pre-existing exclusionary period ends, the condition becomes covered by your disability income insurance.
How do I meet the requirements for a pre-existing condition exclusionary period for group coverage?
To meet the requirements for the pre-existing condition exclusionary period for Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage:
- Enroll during the initial enrollment period
- Continue membership in the group (employer, professional group, association); and
- Stay enrolled in coverage during both the service wait and the pre-existing condition exclusionary period.
Once the exclusionary period has passed, you will then be covered for any pre-existing disability.
How long does a pre-existing condition exclusionary period last in Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
In group Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage, a pre-existing exclusionary period usually lasts between 12 months (one year) and 24 months (two years).
If you apply for an individual policy and have a pre-existing condition that doesn’t meet the insurer’s underwriting rules, the insurer will likely turn down your application for coverage.
Does Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage offer health coverage too?
No. Disability income insurance coverage only offers wage replacement. In employer-sponsored coverage, the employer may use your eligibility for Long-Term Disability (LTD) to decide your continued eligibility for other benefits, such as health and life coverage.
Who pays for Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
If you have individual Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage, you will be responsible for all costs, which can vary depending on your health and the plan you choose.
For group LTD coverage, you may be responsible for no cost, a percentage of the cost, or the entire cost. With employer-sponsored coverage, you may be responsible for the amount that is above what the employer chooses to pay. Your employer will decide how much it will pay and how much you need to contribute. Your employer can explain these benefits details.
How long does Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage last?
Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage can last from one year to the age of retirement — usually 65. However, consult the certificate of coverage (if you have a group plan) or the policy (if you have an individual plan) to confirm the number of years covered by your disability income insurance.
How do I stay enrolled and eligible for Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
Enrollment and eligibility requirements depend on the type of Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage you have — group (employer, professional group, association) or individual. For example, if you have employer-sponsored disability income insurance coverage, you will need to meet the active work requirements, which means you have to work a minimum number of hours per week. If you are unable to meet the active work requirements due to a disability and you have passed the service wait and pre-existing condition exclusionary periods, insurance coverage may be used to replace a portion of your wages.
If you have insurance coverage through a professional group or association, you will need to keep your membership to continue eligibility for benefits. For individual coverage, you have to continue paying your monthly premium.
Does what I have in the bank or what I own affect my eligibility for Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
No. There are no resource limits for Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage.
What is the difference between private disability income insurance, like Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage, and public disability programs, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)?
Private disability income insurance coverage is offered through individual or group (employer, professional group, or association) plans. Private coverage does not have income and resource restrictions. Coverage varies between insurance policies.
State and federal wage replacement programs, like Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), are public benefits. To be eligible for public income replacement, a person does not have to belong to a group but must meet other specific requirements.
Can I keep my group Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage if I no longer belong to the group that offered the benefits?
Yes. Some group Long-Term Disability (LTD) plans are portable, if you are not disabled when you leave the group. A portable plan lets you stay covered under the plan, even if you leave your employer. You would be responsible for paying your premium. Be sure to check your summary plan description to see if the plan is portable.
If your LTD policy is not portable and you go to another employer that offers LTD, you will have to enroll at your new employer during the initial enrollment period, and complete their group plan’s service wait and pre-existing condition exclusionary period.
What else should I know about Long-Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
If you work less hours or leave work due to a disability, you may be eligible to get partial benefits if this provision is included in your policy. Check the certificate of coverage (if you have a group plan) or the policy (if you have an individual plan) for details. Also, you may want to consider consulting a Work Incentive Consultant about Social Security disability programs, such as Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
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Common Pitfalls
Confusing Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance with public disability benefits
Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance is not a government benefit and is not connected to any public benefit program. It is private insurance that you get through a private company.
To find out if you have LTD coverage through your employer, talk to your Human Resources person. To sign up for an individual policy, contact an insurance company or insurance agent.
If you are looking for information about public Social Security benefits for people with disabilities, see DB101's Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) article and DB101's Supplemental Security Income (SSI) article.
Basing decisions on misinformation
Most of us rely on the experience of others to understand how to deal with similar situations. The problem with this is that benefits are person-centered. Benefits programs fit each person differently, based on a variety of facts and conditions, such as:
- Your work history
- How much you earn
- What you own
- How disabling your condition is
- How clearly you report the details of your condition to your medical provider
- How well your medical provider understands or documents these details
- What benefits an employer offers
- What benefits you have purchased individually
Lack of documentation
The more you document your medical condition, the easier it will be to support a claim and to make a case for continuing benefits. Writing down even minor symptons in a daily journal can be of great value. If you are too ill or can't keep a journal, a friend or relative can help you take notes on your symptoms. This journal can also help you tell your medical providers about your condition.
Denial of your disability
Many people go through a time when they deny to themselves, their families, and their medical providers that they have a disabling condition. For some people, denial is their way of coping with the changes in their life. During this time, what they tell their medical providers may not match the severity of their condition or how seriously it affects day-to-day activities.
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Next Steps
Learn More
When you purchase an insurance policy, be sure to read all of the details of your plan. You can read more about your options at these websites:
- The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) has a good article explaining disability income insurance (PDF) that includes a checklist of factors to consider when choosing a plan.
- America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a trade association, offers several articles about disability income insurance.
- The Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE), another organization backed by insurers, also has useful information about disability income insurance.
AZ LINKS – Aging and Disability Resource Center
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The AZ Links – Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) helps seniors, people with disabilities, and their family members and caregivers find resources and services that meet their independent living, disability, housing, financial, legal, and health needs. |
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