How Does Short-Term Disability Work?

Short-term disability insurance may help protect your income if you experience an unexpected illness or injury. You can use the cash benefits to help cover medical costs and everyday expenses while you recover. While you can't purchase Aflac short-term disability insurance on an individual basis, some employers offer it as a worksite benefit. Read on to learn how short-term disability works, what it covers and whether it aligns with your needs.

4 min. read

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Key Takeaways

Short-term disability insurance is a policy that pays cash benefits to replace part of your income for a short period if you can't work due to a covered illness or injury.¹
A short-term disability insurance policy can offer several benefits, including reasonable premiums and the ability to use cash benefits for everyday expenses.
Aflac only offers short-term disability insurance as a worksite benefit.

How does short-term disability insurance work?

Once you enroll in a short-term disability insurance policy, your premium payments will usually be deducted from your paycheck. If you face a covered illness or injury that keeps you from working, you can file a claim.

If your claim is approved, your short-term disability insurance provider will pay cash benefits directly to you, unless otherwise assigned.² You can use these cash benefits as needed to help cover expenses, such as:

Medical bills
Rent or mortgage payments
Groceries
Other everyday expenses

Keep in mind that short-term disability procedures can vary by policy, so review your plan details before filing a claim.

What qualifies as a short-term disability?

So, what qualifies as a short-term disability? And what does short-term disability cover?

Short-term disabilities refer to illnesses or injuries that temporarily keep you from working. Some potential examples include:³

A broken bone or other injury that limits your ability to work
A mental illness, surgery or medical procedure that requires extended recovery time
A health condition that requires medical care and time away from work
Recovery from pregnancy or childbirth

Coverage details depend on your policy, so it's important to review what qualifies as a short-term disability before you enroll or file a claim.

What doesn't qualify for short-term disability?

Not all illnesses or injuries that prevent you from working qualify for short-term disability coverage. While exclusions and limitations vary by plan, some common exceptions include:⁴

Self-inflicted injuries
Elective procedures
Pre-existing conditions
Work-related injuries
Incarceration
War- or military conflict–related claims

Benefits of short-term disability insurance

Short-term disability insurance can offer several benefits, including:

Reasonable premiums: Short-term disability premiums can fit a wide range of budgets. Your employer can explain how much short-term disability costs and whether premiums come from your paycheck.
Flexible cash benefits: You can use short-term disability payments to help cover bills, groceries, childcare and other expenses.
Peace of mind: Short-term disability insurance can provide peace of mind if you face a covered illness or injury that keeps you from working.

Peace of mind doesn't have to break the bank

Don't wait until it's too late. Protect yourself and your family with coverage from Aflac.

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When do short-term disability benefits begin?

After filing a claim, you'll typically receive your short-term disability benefits after a waiting period, also known as an elimination period, which usually lasts between seven and 14 days.⁵

How long does short-term disability insurance last?

Short-term disability insurance benefit periods can vary by plan. In general, benefits typically last several months, though some plans offer benefits for up to a year or two.⁶

If you want longer-term coverage, you may want to consider a long-term disability plan. You can also explore the following coverage options from Aflac:

Cancer insurance: This policy can help ease the financial strain of a covered cancer diagnosis.
Critical illness insurance: This policy can help cover costs associated with a covered life-changing event, like a heart attack or stroke.
Hospital insurance: This policy may help you pay for eligible hospital stay expenses.

Short-term vs. long-term disability insurance

Short-term and long-term disability insurance can both help replace your income if a covered illness or injury prevents you from working, but they differ in duration and timing:

Short-term disability insurance is designed for temporary income support. Benefits often last several weeks to several months, depending on the plan, and usually begin after a short waiting period.
Long-term disability insurance is designed for longer-lasting income support. Benefits may last several years or more, depending on the plan, and usually begin after a longer waiting period or after short-term disability benefits end.⁷

How to apply for short-term disability insurance

You can apply for short-term disability insurance from Aflac through your employer if they offer it as part of their benefits package. If your employer doesn't currently offer short-term disability insurance, consider asking whether they'd be open to adding it as a benefit for you and your coworkers.

If you're an employer who doesn't offer short-term disability coverage yet, doing so can help support your employees and strengthen your overall benefits package.

Explore Aflac's short-term disability insurance

A short-term disability policy can help protect your income if a covered illness or injury keeps you from working. Depending on your location and condition, Aflac offers guaranteed-issue options for short-term disability insurance, which means you may be able to skip the medical exam and still receive coverage.

If you're an employee, check whether your employer offers Aflac Short-Term Disability Insurance. If you're an employer, explore our flexible, affordable plans to see how they can support and protect your workforce.