Short-term—This disability coverage covers a portion of your salary for a short period of time. The time frame depends on the individual policy, but it’s typically around three to six months. 

Long- term—This coverage covers a portion of your salary for an extended period of time. This typically is when an employee is disabled and unable to return to work for at least six months. 

Definition of disability—Some policies pay benefits if you are unable to perform the duties of your regular occupation, while others pay only if you can engage in no gainful employment at all. Understanding how a disability is defined will help you to select a policy that best suits your needs.

Amount of income—This is the most common and affordable option. This amount varies by policy, but a policy that pays 50 to 60 percent of your monthly salary (not including bonuses or commission, if applicable).

Length of benefit period—You can choose to receive benefits that are payable from one year, two years, five years or to retirement age. Opting for coverage that lasts through age 65 affords the best protection against an injury or illness that permanently removes you from the workforce.

Residual benefits—Selecting this feature will give you partial payment in the event that your income is reduced because you are unable to fulfill some, but not all, of your job responsibilities. 

Cost of living adjustment (COLA)—Adding optional COLA to your disability policy means that the coverage you purchase today will keep up with the pace of inflation during the lifetime of the policy.