Disability Income✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
Which statement correctly distinguishes the probationary period from the elimination period in a disability income policy?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The probationary period, also called a waiting period, is measured from the policy's effective date; no benefits are payable for conditions that begin during that period, and it is often used to prevent coverage for sicknesses that already exist or begin almost immediately. The elimination period is measured from the onset of an otherwise covered disability; benefits begin only after it elapses, functioning as a deductible measured in time. Both affect pricing, but they are distinct periods with different starting points and different purposes.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Maximum benefit duration is the benefit period, not the probationary period.
- C) Disability policies pay income benefits, not a death benefit tied to survival; the elimination period delays benefit onset, it is not a survival test.
- D) They are distinct concepts with different triggers: one is measured from policy issue, the other from disability onset.
Memory hook
Probationary counts from policy issue; elimination counts from disability. Know which clock is running.