Our understanding is that "short-term disability insurance" covers any injury, ailment or other medical condition that causes you to miss an amount of time from work defined in your policy as "short-term". My wife was taken from work to the hospital by ambulance. Surgery was performed. Her personal doctor prescribed 6 weeks off from work. She had been treated a couple years earlier for similar heart palpitations. However, the issue was not over whether or not her insurance would cover the actual treatment. She purchased the short-term disability insurance as a supplemental policy to cover unforseen circumstances that caused her to miss work - and income. How is it that the insurance company can refuse to pay citing "pre-existing condition" under these curcumstances?