In most individual disability income policies, total disability is defined as:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Individual disability policies typically define total disability by reference to the insured's ability to perform the material and substantial duties of their occupation, often with an own-occupation or income-based test for an initial period. The precise standard varies by policy, so the policy's own definition controls. This occupational standard replaced the older requirement that an insured be wholly and continuously prevented from performing any work, giving professionals and skilled workers meaningful coverage when they cannot perform their regular duties.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Receiving medical care does not equal total disability; the test concerns the ability to perform occupational duties.
- C) A one-day-per-month threshold is not a standard definition; benefit triggers are based on occupational duty performance.
- D) The Social Security standard is a separate, stricter test of substantial gainful activity; private policies have their own definitions.
Memory hook
Total disability is about the job, not the doctor. Can't do your occupation's material duties, that's the test.