The thought of getting sick or being disabled doesn't enter our minds on a daily basis and rarely do we think about not being able to earn a living. Disability Insurance is designed for the purpose of replacing a certain percentage of your income when you are not able to work.

Some disability insurance may be provided through your employer, while other plans you may provide by yourself. Some plans are better than others and how you are taking care of is dictated by the plan you choose.

When you are looking at plans it is very important for you to understand when and how you will be paid by the individual plan, is it short term or long term? Long term total disability can be broken down into three types; own occupation, income replacement, and gainful coverage.

Own Occupation is when a person is no longer able and will never be able to return to the job that they have always done. The insurance company will deem you unable to return to that particular profession and they will start to pay your claim. After a while you may feel that you want to return to the workforce in a different profession performing other task. The insurance company will continue to pay your claim and it is very important to keep in mind that this is the only type of disability insurance that will do that.

Secondly there is income replacement policies, these are becoming the most common form of disability insurance. The key difference here is that you are paid if you do not go back to work. If you decide to return to the workplace then they will adjust your benefits based on your income.

Gainful Occupation coverage is the type of policy that will leave you most vulnerable in your time of need. In this policy it is the insurance company that decides if you are totally disabled and can not return to work. This is the type of policy that is carried by most employers and it leaves itself open for the most litigation. If you really want to be protected it is best that you carry a second policy along with this one for peace of mind and we suggest a own occupation policy.

When choosing the disability insurance that is right for you spend some time, check out many companies and see which is the perfect plan for you. The cheapest may not be the best plan for you, remember this is a decision that can affect you and your family for the rest of your lives.