An elimination period is a specific type of waiting period most commonly associated with disability insurance rather than health insurance. It refers to the number of days after a disability begins before benefit payments start. Common elimination periods are 30, 60, 90, or 120 days. The longer the elimination period you choose, the lower your premium, because you are essentially self-insuring for the initial period of disability. In health insurance, the term is sometimes used interchangeably with waiting period, but technically an elimination period applies to when benefits are payable after a covered event occurs, while a waiting period applies to when coverage itself begins. Choosing the right elimination period involves balancing your emergency savings against premium costs.