What is the elimination period in a Long-Term Disability policy?

Before Long-Term Disability benefits begin, you must satisfy the policy’s elimination period — also called the waiting period or qualifying period. Most employer-sponsored plans set this at 90 or 180 days of continuous or cumulative disability. During this window, short-term disability or sick leave is usually what bridges income, so it is critical to coordinate your STD and LTD claims carefully.

Common mistakes during the elimination period include failing to document disability continuously, returning to work briefly and resetting the clock, or allowing a treating physician to record inconsistent functional capacity findings. Insurers treat the elimination period as the baseline for your medical record — what your doctors write during these months will anchor every subsequent review.

Under 29 CFR 2560.503-1, your plan must acknowledge your LTD claim within 15 days and issue a decision within 45 days (with one 30-day extension for good cause). These deadlines run from the date you file your LTD application, which you should submit before the elimination period ends — not after. Filing late is a common, avoidable error that delays benefits and can complicate the administrative record.

If your claim is denied during or immediately after the elimination period, you have 180 days under ERISA to appeal. Document your functional limitations thoroughly from day one. We work on contingency — no fee unless we win.