What's the difference between short-term and long-term disability insurance?

Short-term disability replaces income for a brief period — typically a few weeks up to three or six months — covering things like recovery from surgery or childbirth. Long-term disability picks up where short-term ends and can pay for years, or until retirement age, for serious conditions that keep you from working. Short-term usually starts paying within days but runs out fast; long-term has a longer waiting period (the elimination period) but provides the real financial protection if you're sidelined for a long time. Many employers offer both, sometimes for free or at low cost. The mistake is relying only on short-term: a one-month illness rarely bankrupts anyone, but a multi-year disability can. If you have to prioritize, long-term coverage matters most because it insures the catastrophic scenario. Check what your employer provides and where the gaps are before adding individual coverage.