Employee health insurance before vs after tax deduction

I've only seen this option on disability insurance, so correct me if that is not accurate.

The difference is whether the benefit is taxable. If you buy the insurance with pre-tax dollars, then any benefit you get would be considered income and subject to income tax.

If you buy it with after-tax dollars, then the benefit would not be taxable.

So which to choose is not obvious - pre-tax insurance is "cheaper" upfront, but will reduce your net benefits since you'll have to pay tax on them. But if you never need disability, then you're paying less overall. Post-tax costs more upfront, but your benefits won't be taxable.

If you can afford the post-tax option, it's probably the best choice if you ever need it. It's the point of insurance, after all, to pay for something hoping you'll never need it...