What To Look For When Buying Disability Insurance? 
According to Marcy Pruitt , Managing Partner for Disability Insurance Services in Scottsdale , AZ , two features that should be included in a long term disability policy are `` residual '' and `` own occupation '' benefits . Coverage for residual disability means that a partial benefit is paid if the insured person is experiencing a loss of time or income due to residual effects of illness or injury . Thus , just because the employee can work part time , he/she will not lose all his/her disability benefits . Coverage for own occupation is paid if the insured is unable to perform his original job . Thus , benefits are not lost if the employee is able to work at a lower paying or less desirable job . Another helpful feature for young professionals is the Purchase Rider , which allows the insured person to purchase more disability insurance without underwriting , as his/her salary increases . 