What is the 'elimination period' (waiting period) in a disability income insurance policy?

ELIMINATION PERIOD (waiting period) in DISABILITY INCOME insurance: The time between when a disability begins and when BENEFIT PAYMENTS START. The insured must remain disabled throughout this period before benefits begin — it functions like a TIME-BASED DEDUCTIBLE; COMMON LENGTHS: 30, 60, 90, 180 days (or more); LONGER elimination period = LOWER premium (the insurer pays later/less often); during the elimination period, the insured receives no benefits (relies on savings, sick leave, emergency funds); BENEFIT PERIOD: Separate concept — how LONG benefits are paid once they start (e.g., 2 years, 5 years, to age 65); DISABILITY INCOME insurance: Replaces a portion of income (typically 60%) when the insured can't work due to disability; DEFINITIONS of disability: 'own occupation' vs 'any occupation' affect when benefits apply; the elimination period (waiting period before benefits begin) is a key disability income policy provision on the health/disability exam — choosing it balances premium cost against how long the insured can self-fund before benefits start.