A disability elimination period is best described as a

• A. time deductible
• B. waiting period
• C. coinsurance period
• D. deductible period before benefits begin

Answer: (D)

The elimination period is a time you must wait after becoming disabled before disability benefits start, functioning like a time-based deductible. It sets a phrase that the policy won’t pay benefits during that initial period, and once it passes, benefits begin.

Why this description fits best: describing it as a deductible period before benefits begin emphasizes that the insurer treats the disability as something to be deducted in time, much like a monetary deductible is subtracted from coverage. It distinguishes the start of benefits from the onset of disability, which is the key idea of an elimination period.

It isn’t about sharing costs after benefits begin (that would be coinsurance), and while “waiting period” conveys the same timing concept, the wording here specifically frames it as a deductible in time that must be satisfied before benefits commence.