Income protection insurance for a tree worker or owner: what four US regulator and legislature pages say

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It describes a kind of cover, not any policy, and it names no insurer. It covers the United States only: the pages for the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand did not open for this site on October 9, 2026, and the four pages here are state sources that apply to their own state.

The terms side by side

Term	What the source says
What it is	North Carolina: benefits replace lost income when an insured cannot work because of illness or injury. Connecticut: it pays part of income when the insured is disabled by a sickness, injury or pregnancy that is not work-related, and is also called income protection coverage
Share of income	Maine: not intended to fully replace income. North Carolina: an income benefit formula usually gives a percentage of pre-disability wages that may range from 50 to 75 percent, or a flat amount set at purchase
Elimination or waiting period	Maine: from 0 to 730 days. North Carolina: from a few days to a year or longer, with longer periods generally costing less. Virginia rule: no more than 30, 90 or 180 days depending on the benefit period. Connecticut: no more than 90, 180 or 365 days depending on the benefit period
Benefit period	Maine: long-term benefits can run from five years to the rest of the insured's life. North Carolina: short term generally six months to two years, long term five to 10 years, to age 65 or for life. Virginia: an individual policy must pay for a minimum of 180 days
Work-related injuries	Maine and North Carolina: the policy may not pay for work-related disabilities. Connecticut: the cover is for non work-related causes and is described as different from workers' compensation

Definitions of disability

The North Carolina guide explains two common definitions. Under an own occupation definition, benefits are paid when the insured cannot perform the regular and customary duties of their own occupation. Under an any occupation definition, the insured is generally eligible only if unable to perform the duties of any occupation they are qualified for by education, training and prior experience. The guide says short term policies usually use own occupation, and long term policies usually use it for the first year or two, then any occupation. It adds that for some it is considerably harder to qualify under any occupation. Connecticut regulation, as the report describes it, defines total, partial and residual disability, and says total disability is generally complete inability to work in a field the person is qualified for.

Riders and the self-employed

Maine describes a residual disability rider as one for a disability that prevents some of the duties of an occupation, or work on a full-time basis, and also covers a case where the insured returns to full-time work but loses income because the business suffered during the absence. It calls this rider a common benefit offered to self-employed people. The Connecticut report defines residual disability as inability to perform some part of the major duties, or all usual business duties for as long as is usually required. The other riders the Maine and North Carolina pages list are a cost of living adjustment, a future purchase option, a partial disability rider, return of premium and waiver of premium. Maine defines two renewal terms: guaranteed renewable, where the policy cannot be ended except for non-payment and premiums may rise, and non-cancellable, where premiums cannot rise.

Exclusions and offsets

Maine and North Carolina list pre-existing conditions, war, self-inflicted injury and work-related injury as typical exclusions. North Carolina says benefits may be reduced when the insured has multiple policies, a drop in earnings after purchase, or a social security offset. It also says receipt of workers' compensation benefits may make an insured ineligible under a typical policy. Maine says an accident-only policy may not cover illness.

Group and individual cover

The Connecticut report says group cover through an employer generally allows purchase without underwriting, while individual cover requires the insured to complete underwriting, which is the insurer's review of medical profile and risk. It states that Connecticut regulates disability insurance as part of accident and health insurance, with at least six months of cover required. The report leaves the question of who in a small tree business carries which cover to the policy itself. What the workers' compensation side looks like is on the page about insurance cover, and how workers are classed is on subcontracting cover.