Long term disability is a type of disability insurance. It is intended to help an individual with a disability to survive for an extended period of time without employment income. In Canada, various government agencies provide long term disability when necessary. Generally, long term disability in the United States is private. This is best described as loss insurance. It will provide you with a set amount of money. This money is based upon a variety of factors. While each agency may base their decision on the same basic data, the personal requirements or definitions involved vary from company to company and state to state. You can receive long term disability benefits from a policy purchased by an employer or by yourself. In the latter instance, you will be subjected to medical underwriting. The former relies on what are called "pre-existing conditions" to determine if and when you receive long term disability benefits. This means if you have had treatment for from 3-6 months for the same disabling condition before the event, you may have to wait up to 2 years before you can collect. In the case of an individual's policy, medical underwriting will look at so-called "potentially disabling conditions" before determining what will or will not be excluded. As a result you may not collect long term disability benefits for having a specific problem. Check carefully with the company and your employer to see what restrictions apply.