Will disability insurance cover the coronavirus?

Disability insurance can provide much-needed income when you’re recovering from the coronavirus. But whether you’re claiming through an individual, employer or state-funded policy, you’ll need to meet your insurer’s requirements before getting a claim payout.

Does my disability insurance cover the coronavirus?

If you have disability insurance, you might get covered if you get COVID-19 and can’t work for a while. You’ll have coverage even if you buy a policy today and get the coronavirus in a few weeks.

However, watch for the long waiting periods that some policies require. If you get a policy with first-day hospital benefits, your waiting period can be waived if you’re admitted to the hospital for the specified time listed in your policy. However, your insurance company won’t deem every coronavirus infection eligible. Qualifications might include:

• Getting an official diagnosis. Self-quarantine won’t qualify for disability benefits unless you get an official diagnosis of coronavirus from a doctor.
• Proving that you can’t work. If you have the coronavirus, you have to prove that you can’t work during the quarantine period. For own-occupation policies, you have to prove that you can’t work your normal job before getting benefits.
• Getting through the waiting period. Most policies have a waiting period before you start collecting benefits, ranging range from 1 to 90 days for short-term policies or 30 to 720 days for long-term policies. If your illness lasts beyond that timeframe, you can get a payout after the waiting period.

How does income protection work?

Disability insurance, also known as income protection insurance, promises to pay a percentage of your typical wages if you become too sick or injured to work. For a monthly fee around 1–2% of your salary, this coverage can give peace of mind about paying your bills while you’re ill. You can buy this insurance through your employer or a private insurance company.

The payouts for different types of policies:

• Short-term disability typically pays 60% to 80% of your income.
• Long-term disability can pay 40% to 60% of your income.

Can I buy disability insurance for the coronavirus today?

Yes, you can buy income protection if you apply for disability coverage today. If you’re comparing policies, consider ones with shorter waiting periods to maximize benefits if you get the coronavirus.

Also, companies might consider the coronavirus a pre-existing condition if you apply while you’re sick. In this case, you you won’t be covered for the coronavirus. Some state disability programs cover you without excluding pre-existing conditions or requiring a waiting period.

When applying, you should stay honest about your medical history, recent travel and job changes. That way the company can evaluate your risk and set an accurate premium.

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Policygenius Disability Insurance		$100 to $20,000	2, 5, or 10 years or until age 65 or 67	60 - 365 days	Yes	Depends on provider	Get matched with one of 15 top life insurance companies to find the best coverage and rates for you.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
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Breeze		$500 to $20,000	1, 2, 5, or 10 years or until age 65 or 67	30 - 365 days	Yes	No	Secure long-term disability insurance online by filling out an easy 10-minute application, even if you're a high income earner.	Go to site More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Can I get state disability insurance for the coronavirus?

Getting state disability benefits depends on what’s available in your state. State-led coverage can go several ways:

Disability insurance purchased through the state

Some states like Texas and Georgia don’t offer government benefits unless you buy a policy. Other states require employers to offer disability insurance.

In both cases, claiming disability benefits looks similar to individual disability insurance. You’ll buy the policy first, then file a report with documentation with the insurance company. That means the same rules apply as usual for coronavirus claims. You may need a medical diagnosis and be unable to work to qualify.

State-led disability programs

A few states run their own short-term disability programs for workers. For example, California requires all employees to pay into its short-term disability program. If a doctor deems you unable to work because of the coronavirus, you could get these state disability benefits. The program either gives payouts until you return to work or until you max out the coverage benefits and timeframe.

Can I get federal disability benefits?

You probably won’t qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for the coronavirus. However, you might qualify if the coronavirus causes serious disability preventing you from working for at least a year. In some cases, you could qualify if the virus is expected to lead to your death.

You can apply for federal disability benefits through the SSA website if you qualify. You’ll need details about your medical condition, doctor’s contact details and your job history.

Alternative financing to pay your bills during the coronavirus

If income protection can’t help you during the pandemic, you have other options for getting the financial support that you need. A few options to consider:

• Ask for extensions on your payments. Some credit card, utility or other companies are allowing late payments and waiving fees to help people affected by the coronavirus.
• Consider a new credit card. If you’re looking to buy necessities on credit, you might find a new card offering no interest for a set time period.
• Apply for unemployment. If you qualify for this government benefit, consider using the assistance to help while you look for work.

Bottom line

Getting the coronavirus could qualify you for disability benefits if you’re unable to work for a long period of time. You’ll need to prove your diagnosis and complete the waiting period first. If you’re considering whether to buy a new disability insurance policy, many companies will provide coverage even if you bought a policy right before becoming ill.

Questions about disability insurance for the coronavirus

• Do you have to be fully disabled from the coronavirus to get disability benefits?

  It depends on whether you have an own-occupation or all-occupation policy. An own-occupation policy lets you receive disability benefits if you can work but not in your normal occupation. So if you switch from physical labor to a desk job for your coronavirus quarantine, you can get payouts under an own-occupation policy. But an all-occupation policy requires that you can’t work at all before it pays out benefits.

• Should I get short-term or long-term disability insurance for the coronavirus?

  If you’re looking to cover disability from the coronavirus, short-term disability will pay out sooner than long-term disability insurance. Since the coronavirus may last a few weeks, you could receive more payments with short-term coverage.

• Does workers' compensation cover the coronavirus?

  Yes, you might be covered under workers’ compensation if you can prove you caught the coronavirus from your workplace. Workers’ compensation benefits may pay for medical bills and lost wages during your recovery. Lost wages typically include two-thirds of your average income up to a maximum amount. The lost wages benefit can kick in after just a few days of missing work.