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| Think
You Will Never Suffer A Long Term Disability? |
By: Steve Crawford
|
I'm a firm believer in odds,
I generally don't make a personal or business decision until I understand
the odds, and whether or not they are in my favor. So when I evaluated
buying my own disability insurance policy several years ago, I wanted
to know what the odds were of me suffering a long term disability
during my working years. Let's just say it didn't take long for
me to sign an application to begin the underwriting
process.
According to the May 2000 Norton Bankrupcy Adviser, 326,441 families
that filed for bankrupcy protection in 1999 identified an illness
or injury in their family as the major reason for the bankrupcy.
That means 1 in 4 debtors in 1999 were attributed to a disability.
Still not concerned? According to the US Housing and Home Finance
Agency only 3% of home mortgage foreclosures are due to a death of
the breadwinner. 48% of all foreclosures are do to a disability.
So what do you think is more important during your working years,
life or disability insurance?
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Why is this article written? Because in 2000 The Consumer Federation
of America and The American Council of Life Insurers conducted a survery
which found 82% of people have no long term disability insurance, or believe
their coverage to be inadequate. This shows me that people don't have
a clue just how vulnerable they are, or their perception is a perception
not based in reality. A perception not based on reality is extremely dangerous,
and until somebody shakes that reality up for you (the goal of this article),
the only way you discover your mistake is when it is already too late.
| What Causes a Disability? |
I don't know how many times I have heard people say, "I don't need
anything fancy for disability insurance, I just need a basic contract.
I only need my brain and my hands to do my job." Again, this is a
perception not based in reality. The reality is only 13% of disabilities
are do to injury. (Source: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research, Disability in the United States Prevalence and Causes, 1992)
Disabilities are caused by illness, and I have news for everybody
reading this.An illness does not care what you do for a living, a cardiovascular
event will hit a computer consultant the same way it hits an attorney.
Give Me Some Specific Causes: Source
HIAA Source Book of Health Insurance Data 1999-2000.
| Impairment |
Percentage
of Claims |
As one can see from this
chart, most of the disabilities listed don't care what you do for
a living. A severe back problem is going to limit a computer consultant
from sitting in front of a computer for any length of time, a surgeon
from being able to stand in the OR for any length of time, and a
teacher from standing in front of the classroom.
Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes strike people of all
occupations. Going through chemotherapy is going to reduce anybody's
ability to earn an income, and all three reduce the body's immune
system leading to even more possible disabilities.
My point is this, don't be so arrogant as to honestly believe you
won't ever become disabled, or that statistics don't apply to you.
If you do ignore them, you are setting yourself up to be one of
the four who files for bankrupcy because of a disability to the
breadwinner, or part of the 48% of home mortgage foreclosures resulted
from a disability. |
| Back |
18.2% |
| Emotional / Psychiatric |
12.7% |
| Neurological |
11.3% |
| Extremities |
9.0% |
| Cardiovascular |
4.1% |
| Diabetes |
3.6% |
| Substance Abuse |
3.3% |
| Hearing |
2.9% |
| Vision |
2.6% |
| Blood Disorders |
2.6% |
| Cancer |
2.3% |
| Asthma |
1.7% |
| Other |
25.7% |
| Total |
100.0% |
|
Disability insurance truly is a foundation product, it is the foundation
of any solid financial plan. Should you suffer a long term disability
that lasts 90 days or more, odds are that you will be disabled for more
than 3 years. You have just read the most current statistics offered regarding
just how vulnerable you are to a long term disability eroding everything
you have ever saved. The only question remaining is, "Are you going
to remain one of the 82% of people who does not own disability insurance,
or believes that the disability insurance you own is inadequate?"
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