Elimination period
The time you must be disabled before a disability policy starts paying, often 30 to 90 days or more.
A longer elimination period lowers the premium, but you need savings to cover your bills until the first check. Multiply your monthly essentials by the months of waiting to see how much.
Example
With a 90-day elimination period and $2,800 of monthly essentials, you need $2,800 × 3 = $8,400 in cash before benefits start.