Income Protection
Disability Insurance
Your income is your most valuable asset. Protect it.
Most people insure their car, their home, and their health — but not the paycheck that pays for all of it. If you couldn't work for six months or a year, how long could your household manage? Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income if illness or injury keeps you from working.
Not sure how big your gap is? Try our free Disability Income Replacement Calculator or Elimination Period Calculator.
One in four of today's 20-year-olds will experience a disability before reaching retirement age.
SSA Disability and Death Probability Tables, 2025
Of SSDI applicants over the last decade, only about 30% were approved — most after multiple rounds of appeals.
Social Security Administration Annual Statistical Report, 2024
The average SSDI benefit as of early 2026. That's $19,560 annually — below the poverty line for a two-person household.
Council for Disability Income Awareness, 2026
Coverage type
Short-Term Disability
Short-term disability coverage fills the immediate gap when illness or injury pulls you out of work. It kicks in quickly and is designed to bridge the time before a long-term policy or SSDI would begin paying.
Best for
Anyone who would struggle to cover rent, mortgage, or everyday expenses within the first few weeks of being unable to work. Even a healthy emergency fund can disappear fast when it's the only thing standing between you and missed bills.
Coverage type
Long-Term Disability
Long-term disability is the coverage that keeps your financial life intact if the problem doesn't go away in a few months. It's designed for serious illnesses, injuries, or conditions that sideline you for years — or permanently.
Best for
Professionals, business owners, and sole income earners — anyone whose household depends on a specific job or income level being maintained over the long term.
Own-occupation vs. any-occupation — what it actually means
Own-occupation
You're covered if you can't do your job — even if you could technically do a different one. A surgeon with a hand injury who can still answer phones is disabled under own-occupation. This is the definition worth paying for if your income depends on a specific skill or profession.
Any-occupation
A much stricter standard. You're only covered if you can't perform virtually any work at all. More affordable, but far harder to collect on. Know which definition your policy uses before you sign.
Common questions about disability insurance
Doesn't my employer provide disability coverage?
Many employer plans cover only 60% of base salary and stop the moment you leave the job. Group coverage is better than nothing — but it's tied to your employment and often has lower benefit caps than you'd expect. Individual disability coverage is portable and follows you from job to job.
Is disability insurance really necessary if I have savings?
The average long-term disability claim lasts 31.6 months. Most people don't have enough savings to cover nearly three years of income loss without serious financial damage — especially while still managing a mortgage, car payments, and family expenses. Disability insurance protects your savings too.
What if I'm self-employed?
Self-employed individuals have no employer coverage to fall back on — no group plan, no sick leave, no FMLA protections that matter when income stops. Individual disability insurance is especially critical for business owners and sole proprietors. If you go down, the business goes down. Coverage keeps both standing.
Schedule a free conversation about protecting your income
We compare short-term and long-term disability options across multiple carriers for your occupation, income, and situation — at no charge. One conversation could protect years of financial progress.
Hougom Insurance Agency · 115 10th Ave S, Suite A · Onalaska, WI 54650
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Disability insurance products, benefit amounts, waiting periods, and policy definitions vary by carrier and state. This page is for general information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Hougom Insurance Agency is a licensed independent insurance agency (NPN 20742808).