It is not surprising that many consumers believe that long term disability insurance is the only type of insurance available. Long term is by far the most common type purchased by consumers as well as the most common type offered by employers and membership organizations. However, there are short term disability insurance polices on the market and they can be useful when needed. This article examines some of the more common aspects between the two types of disability insurance.

As mentioned above, this type of insurance is the more commonly used type and it protects you should you become disabled through illness or injury. These policies usually begin to take effect once any short term disability policies end. The phrase long term can be misleading as some of these policies may only last 5 or 10 years. If you have the option, you want one that covers you until age 65.

Short term disability insurance, on the other hand, will cover a certain percentage of your lost salary if you are injured or become too ill to work. These benefit payments usually begin once your sick leave pay runs out.

Short term benefits often vary as time passes. Early on you will probably receive a large percentage of your usual pay, but as time goes on this amount may decrease. In many cases, short term policies last for six months or so before they are terminated.