What Does Disability Insurance Cover? 
Long term disability insurance covers health conditions that cause the insured person to be unable to work for an extended period of time . The most common cause of collecting on disability benefits in 2010 was musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders -LRB- neck , back , ankle , foot , joint , muscle , and/or tendon disorders -RRB- . Cancer was 2nd . Injuries and accidents came in at # 3 , cardiovascular/circulatory disease was # 4 , and mental disorders were the 5th most common reason for collection of long term disability benefits in 2010 . 