Best disability insurance companies

Health challenges and unexpected accidents can impact anyone, disrupting their ability to work and earn a living. From sudden injuries to chronic conditions or mental health struggles, these unforeseen events often lead to extended absences from work. Statistics indicate that a notable percentage of workers will face significant health-related interruptions at some point in their careers, underscoring the importance of preparation.

While government programs like Social Security disability benefits provide some financial relief, they often fall short of covering an individual's full financial needs. Disability insurance, on the other hand, offers a crucial layer of protection, providing financial assistance through regular payments or lump sums. This coverage helps fill the gap between lost income and the costs of everyday living, ensuring greater financial stability during challenging times.

Many employers include disability insurance in their benefits packages, but this coverage may not always meet every individual's unique needs. In some cases, purchasing additional individual disability insurance might be a prudent decision to ensure comprehensive protection against potential income loss due to health-related work absences. 

Get a free disability insurance price quote here.

Best disability insurance companies

Here are some of the best disability insurance companies to consider, broken down into five categories.

• Best for cost: Breeze
• Best for long-term disability: Principal
• Best for high-risk policyholders: Mutual of Omaha
• Best for short waiting periods: Assurity
• Best overall: Guardian

Best for cost: Breeze

Breeze is a tech-forward disability insurance company that makes it easy to compare quotes and get good deals from different insurance carriers. Disability insurance coverage through Breeze can start as low as $9/month. Get a price quote from Breeze now to see what it could cost you.

Best for long-term disability: Principal

If you're looking for long-term disability insurance, Principal is a highly regarded provider that makes it easy to get long-term disability quotes. Depending on your occupational risk, you can potentially get a disability insurance plan that covers you until age 65. The company also offers another type of coverage that can help you save for retirement in the event you become disabled during your working years. Learn more about long-term disability insurance with Principal here.

Best for high-risk policyholders: Mutual of Omaha

Working a physically demanding job can sometimes make it hard to find good disability insurance, but Mutual of Omaha is one of the best providers for high-risk policyholders. The company has a range of options for a variety of professions, such as doctors, electricians, construction workers and more. The insurer also offers many different types of riders that can help you customize your coverage.

Best for short waiting periods: Assurity

If you want your disability insurance benefits to kick in quickly, one of the best providers to consider is Assurity. For some of its short-term policies, like accident-only income protection, coverage can kick in with no waiting periods. For long-term insurance policies, you can choose from different elimination periods, starting at 30 days.

Best overall: Guardian

Guardian is a major insurer with strong financial ratings, and it offers a wide range of coverage. In addition to offering many other types of insurance, like life insurance and dental insurance, Guardian has both short-term and long-term disability policies, as well as plans for individuals and employers. The company offers coverage to many different types of workers, such as medical professionals and physical laborers, making it a good overall choice.

The bottom line

Choosing among these best disability insurance companies can help you reduce the risk of missing out on important income due to an accident or illness. However, keep in mind that what's best for one person isn't necessarily what's best for everyone else. So, if you're interested in getting disability insurance, it's good to compare providers and see which ones have the right mix of features and costs for your situation. Start by reviewing your disability insurance options here today.