Short-term disability coverage and long-term disability coverage are related, though it’s not necessarily the case that policyholders have access to both forms of coverage.

• Short-term disability insurance coverage is a temporary wage replacement that usually lasts for 26 weeks or 180 days after the occurrence of a disability.
• Waiting periods tend to be short (in some cases, 7 days).
• By contrast, long-term disability insurance usually has a minimum period of coverage that lasts for 24 months, and in some cases, may last until full retirement age.

Short-term disability insurance and long-term disability insurance are often packaged together, in which case the short-term disability insurance coverage will transition naturally into long-term disability insurance coverage, assuming that you still qualify as disabled at the time. It’s worth noting, however, that the conditions for qualification (i.e., own occupation vs. any occupation standard) may change.