What does a sickness benefit usually require before payments commence?

A sickness benefit typically requires a time franchise before payments commence to ensure that the individual has met a minimum duration of illness or incapacity. In many policies, this waiting period is usually around 7 days, which means that the insured must be unable to work for this period before they can start claiming benefits. This is designed to prevent small or temporary ailments from triggering the payments and to manage the insurance provider’s risk effectively.

The reason other options do not apply is that immediate coverage without any waiting period would lead to a higher chance of claims related to short-term issues, which could be unsustainable for insurance companies. Similarly, while a doctor's note specifying severity may be required for some types of claims, it is not a standard prerequisite for the onset of sickness benefit payments. Prior enrollment in the insurance policy is necessary for any benefits to be available, but it does not specifically relate to the timing of when payments begin. Therefore, the typical structure of sickness benefits includes this waiting period before payments are initiated.