When Does Long Term Disability Insurance Begin? 
Long Term Disability Insurance will start paying the benefit to the disabled employee after the waiting period -LRB- elimination period -RRB- has been satisfied . The most common elimination period chosen for Long Term Disability Insurance is 3 months , but it can be shorter or longer . The shorter the elimination period , the lower the premium . The countdown for the waiting period usually starts on the day of the injury or illness , but if a minor illness has developed into a major one , the elimination period might not start to be satisfied until that progression has taken place . Each policy will spell out that criteria to review ahead of time . 