Individual long-term disability insurance

If you rely on your paycheck to survive, long-term disability insurance can provide peace of mind. If you fall seriously ill or injured, it pays out a portion of your income for a specific time frame. While premiums can be costly, you can save by choosing a longer waiting period.

What is long-term disability insurance?

Long-term disability (LTD) insurance pays a percentage of your income if you suffer an illness or injury and can’t work. It typically replaces 40% to 60% of your paycheck for 2, 5 or 10 years, or until you reach retirement.

How does long-term disability insurance work?

There are two key elements of long-term disability insurance: the elimination period and the benefit period.

If you become disabled, the elimination period begins. This is the amount of time you’ll wait before you start receiving benefits. Long-term plans usually come with elimination period of 30, 60, 90, 180, 360 or 720 days — and 90 days is the most popular choice. If you have short-term disability insurance, that coverage can bridge the gap until your LTD policy kicks in.

How long does it last?

Once the elimination period is over, your insurer pays out benefits up to a specific age, or for a set number of years. This is known as the benefit period, and you’ll need to select one when you apply for a policy.

The most common benefit periods for long-term disability plans are:

Let’s say you select the benefit period “to age 70.” If you become totally disabled, you’ll receive your last check on your 70th birthday — regardless of when you bought the policy.

After the benefit period has passed, you’re no longer eligible to collect benefits.

What qualifies for long-term disability benefits?

Long-term disability caters to long-term health conditions. While every insurer defines disability differently, it typically covers:

• Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders — like osteoarthritis, chronic back pain or slipped disks
• Accidental injuries — like brain trauma caused by a car accident
• Cardiovascular disorders — such as heart attacks or serious heart conditions
• Circulatory disorders — like coronary artery disease
• Prolonged mental illnesses — including PTSD and major depressive disorders
• Cancer

How to apply for long-term disability insurance

Around four in 10 companies offer some type of disability insurance as part of their employee benefits, according to LIMRA’s Life Insurance Barometer Study 2019. If yours does, your employer will subsidize your premium.

If you don’t have access to LTD through the workplace, you can purchase an individual policy on your own. By going down this path, you’ll be able to customize your coverage and choose the best benefit and elimination periods for your needs.

Is long-term disability insurance taxable?

While your salary is taxed, your disability insurance benefits aren’t — so your checks could come close to your take-home pay.

Unfortunately, your premiums aren’t tax-deductible.

Long-term vs. short-term disability

Both types of coverage protect your income, but they differ in terms of how long they last and the percentage of your paycheck they replace.

These are the key features of long- and short-term disability insurance.

Is long-term disability insurance worth it?

While health insurance can cover many illnesses and injuries, the coverage is far from exhaustive. That’s where disability insurance comes in. If you become disabled and can’t work, your policy will replace a percentage of your paycheck and help you to pay for your living and medical expenses.

If you’re still working and don’t have substantial savings, consider long-term disability insurance. While it’s more expensive than short-term disability, it covers a longer list of illnesses and injuries, including arthritis, back pain, heart disease and mental health conditions.

It lasts longer, too. Your benefit period can span several years, or until you reach retirement and Social Security kicks in. To put this into context, the average long-term disability claim lasts just under three years, according to the Center for Disability Awareness. But if you’re seriously ill or injured, LTD can potentially cover you for the rest of your working life.

Compare disability insurance companies

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Name	Product	Short term	Long term	Waiting period	Benefit period
Breeze				30 - 365 days	Up to ages 65 & 67 or 1, 2, 5, 10 years	Get a quote More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Policygenius Disability Insurance				60 - 365 days	Up to ages 65 & 67 or 2, 5, 10 years	Get a quote More Info	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
LeverageRx				30 - 365 days	Up to ages 65, 67 & 70 or 1, 2, 5, 10 years	LeverageRx is a digital lending and insurance marketplace exclusively for medical professionals.	Get a quote	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Bottom line

Long-term disability insurance replaces part of your take-home pay if you become ill or injured and can’t work. It covers a comprehensive list of physical and mental conditions, including common and chronic issues like back pain. But while it can last years or even a lifetime, the maximum monthly benefit is usually between 40% and 60% of your salary.

Explore your options by comparing disability insurance companies.

Frequently asked questions

• Will my life insurance policy cover disability?

  No. Most life insurance policies don’t have built-in clauses for disability, meaning they won’t pay out if you become disabled. However, some insurance companies allow you to add certain riders to your policy that will step in if you become seriously ill or injured and can’t work.

• How often are long-term disability benefits paid out?

  Generally, you’ll receive a check each month during the benefit period.

• What happens if I'm disabled but can still work?

  It will come down to your insurer’s definition of disability. There are two types of plans:

  • Own-occupation disability insurance pays benefits if you can’t work in your usual occupation, but you can still work a different job.
  • Any-occupation disability insurance pays out if you can’t do any job. It’s trickier to claim benefits for this type of policy, because you’ll have to prove you physically or mentally cannot perform any kind of work.

  Before committing to coverage, ask your insurer which definition applies to its disability policies.