How Does Short-Term Disability Work?

Short-term disability insurance is a particular kind of insurance designed to protect a portion of your income for a short period of time, if a covered injury or illness briefly prevents you from earning a wage.¹

How each short-term disability insurance plan and procedure works varies from company to company. At Aflac, you can access and apply for short-term disability insurance through your employer. Payments are deducted from your paycheck, and you may receive benefits for covered illnesses or injuries that occur on or off-the-job.

Aflac Short-Term Disability Insurance pays cash benefits for covered disabilities (subject to exclusions and limitations). Payments can be used as needed – to help with medical bills, recovery expenses or even to help you pay for rent or groceries. This may be particularly helpful if others depend on your income or if you have outstanding bills to pay.

What Does Short-Term Disability Insurance Cover?

The main qualifier for short-term disability coverage is if the incident temporarily puts you out of work. However, it can be useful to review circumstances that are not covered by short-term disability insurance:

• If you lose your license to work²
• If you are unable to work due to a war²
• If you get injured due to active participation in a riot or protest²
• If the injury is self-inflicted²
• If you committed a crime and are in prison or jail²
• If you have a pre-existing condition³

We recognize that understanding the qualifications of each short-term disability insurance plan is important. In addition to reviewing the limitations and exclusions in each plan, it can be helpful to consider your budget for a short-term disability insurance plan and how long you are able to stay afloat without income.

How Long Does Short-Term Disability Insurance Last?

The duration of coverage depends on how each short-term disability insurance plan works. At Aflac, we can help provide income relief for up to 24 months. If your injury or illness lasts longer than three months, you may want to consider a different kind of insurance that provides more long-term coverage. Luckily, you have many options with Aflac:

• Cancer Insurance: This type of insurance plan is designed to help with the physical and emotional costs of a cancer diagnosis.
• Critical Illness Insurance: This insurance can help cover costs related to a covered life-changing event, like a heart attack or stroke.
• Hospital Insurance: Hospital insurance can help with the high costs of hospital stays.