Margaret Miller paid premiums for 15 years. When she needed a home health aide after a fall, the family expected their $350/day benefit. The claim was approved, but benefits only began after the 90-day elimination period. This un-explained waiting period cost the family $27,000 out-of-pocket, consuming most of Margaret’s savings before coverage began.
The elimination period functioned as a massive, time-based deductible, resulting in immense, unexpected up-front out-of-pocket loss.
Waiting period and out-of-pocket exposure.
“Benefits will begin after you have satisfied the Elimination Period… 90 consecutive days.”
Clara flags the length and definition of the elimination period, calculating the total out-of-pocket cost based on the daily benefit/cost of care.
* This scenario described is fictious and is solely for illustrative or educational purposes so the insured has the opportunity to discuss these issues with their licensed insurance producer.
Each month, My Policy Advocate™ donates $100,000 to disaster-impacted communities. Members vote on where funds go — because true advocacy means Paying it Forward.
Join thousands of members who are taking control of their coverage and protecting what matters most.
For Educational Purposes Only: My Policy Advocate is an educational platform, not a licensed insurance agent, broker, or financial advisor. We do not sell insurance or provide legal, financial, or tax advice. Our goal is to help you understand your existing policies.
© My Policy Advocate 2025
We, and our third-party partners, use cookies, pixels and other tracking technologies (“cookies”) to collect, record, and share information you provide, as well as information about your interactions with, our site for ad targeting, analytics, personalization, customer service and for site functionality purposes.
Click on each category heading to learn more and to change the default settings according to your preference. To opt out of the applicable category of cookies, slide LEFT on the toggles below and click “Save Preferences” at the bottom.
By continuing to use this site or by clicking one of the buttons below, you agree to the use of cookies in accordance with your preferences and you accept our Terms of Service (which contains important waivers).
Some of these practices may constitute the sale of personal data or the use of personal data for targeted advertising subject to opt-out rights provided under certain laws. To opt out of personal information sales or sharing for targeted advertising purposes, you must: (1) opt out of non-necessary cookies using the toggles / buttons below, and (2) submit a Do Not Sell or Share for Targeted Advertising request to privacy@mypolicyadvocate.com. We will process your request in accordance with applicable state law. Please visit the State-Specific Disclosures section of our Privacy Notice for additional information about these and other rights that may be available to you.
If you are visiting our site with the Global Privacy Control enabled, any cookies that constitute sales or are used for targeted advertising should already be turned off automatically.
You cannot opt-out of Strictly Necessary Cookies as they are deployed in order to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as remembering your settings, to log into your account, and to redirect you when you log out) and are not subject to the opt-out rights described above.