John, a 45-year-old software engineer in British Columbia, suffers a severe stroke and is unable to perform the duties of his own occupation. His individual disability policy defines 'total disability' as the inability to perform the 'main duties of his regular occupation' for the first 24 months, and thereafter the inability to perform 'any occupation for which he is reasonably suited by education, training, or experience.' What type of disability definition does John's policy primarily use?

Question: John, a 45-year-old software engineer in British Columbia, suffers a severe stroke and is unable to perform the duties of his own occupation. His individual disability policy defines 'total disability' as the inability to perform the 'main duties of his regular occupation' for the first 24 months, and thereafter the inability to perform 'any occupation for which he is reasonably suited by education, training, or experience.' What type of disability definition does John's policy primarily use?

Answer options: ✅ Hybrid Own-Occupation / Any-Occupation

• Pure Own-Occupation
• Any-Occupation
• Gainful Occupation

Correct answer: Hybrid Own-Occupation / Any-Occupation

Explanation: This policy uses a hybrid or 'transitional' definition, starting with a more generous 'own occupation' definition for an initial period, then transitioning to a stricter 'any occupation' definition. This is common in individual DI policies.