Individual Short Term Disability Insurance
2025 Pricing Survey

Short term disability insurance does cover pregnancy subject to at least one of the following conditions, depending on the product:

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• the policy may cover only complications of pregnancy, not normal pregnancy, or

• a longer Elimination Period (i.e., 90 days as measured from the first day of disability) may be required before benefits begin to accrue, or

• there may be a temporary pregnancy exclusion for the first 9-12 months of the policy's existence, or

• it may be an employee benefit, or

• there may be a pre-existing condition limitation.

When purchased individually, qualifying for a policy is subject to a review of medical information which involves a questionnaire.  Medical questionnaires may ask about:

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• Current pregnancy 

• History of pregnancy complications 

• Fertility treatment 

If currently pregnant, insurers may take one of two actions: (1) issue the policy with an exclusion amendment for pregnancy and complications or (2) postpone making an underwriting decision until three months after delivery, at which time coverage is made available on the same basis as it would for any other applicant.  A few products don't screen for pregnancy at all, which is made possible by policy limitations (discussed above).

If the applicant has a history of pregnancy complications, complications are likely to be excluded by amendment regardless of how the pregnancy question is answered due to higher risk of complications with a possible future pregnancy.  If there is a history of pregnancy complications, placement decisions may favor an insurer that doesn't ask.

Fertility treatment can trigger an exclusion amendment for pregnancy complications, however some carriers are more liberal on fertility treatment than others.  Not all insurers are concerned with this.