Disability insurance covers more folks than you’d think – and the causes are surprising.This article covers reasons to purchase disability insurance that are equally applicable when considering the importance of Social Security disability coverage.
Fact 1: Leading cause of disability often mistaken.
The overwhelming majority of respondents (97 percent) failed to correctly identify arthritis as the leading cause of disability. The largest group of respondents, 30 percent, misidentified “accidents” as the leading cause. In reality, work-related accidents account for less than 5 percent of disabilities. The remaining 95 percent are caused by chronic illnesses, according to the Council for Disability Awareness.
Fact 2: Women’s higher incidence of disability unacknowledged
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found higher rates of disability reported by females across all age groups when compared to males. Arthritis disproportionally impacts women, leaving them particularly vulnerable to financial hardship stemming from a loss or reduction of income. More women (18 percent) also express greater concern about the impact a disability could have on their financial situation versus men (12 percent), according to The American College survey.
Fact 3: Financial consequences of disability can be severe
Most people are unaware of the earning power that is lost over a lifetime if a disability occurs. For example, someone with an annual income of $50,000, who works for 40 years, is projected to make more than $2 million in future earnings. A loss of these earnings can be detrimental for an individual or family’s livelihood and future.
These financial consequences may be even more alarming for women. Women (22 percent) are almost twice as likely as men (12 percent) to think their cash reserves would last less than one month if faced with a disability. Unmarried women have an even bleaker outlook.
Fact 4: Most lack financial plans to deal with disability
Dealing with a disability could halt savings for retirement, a child’s college education, funds for medical care and even basic living expenses. In fact, most survey respondents plan to rely on savings to replace their income (71 percent), although most admit their cash reserves would run out in less than six months.
Fact 5: Most people are uninformed about disability insurance coverage
Sixty-one percent of women and almost half of men (46 percent) have never researched disability insurance and less than 10 percent of people have purchased individual disability insurance plans. Almost half of employed individuals obtain disability policies through their employers, but most don’t feel knowledgeable about their policies.
Only four in ten Americans are aware that disability insurance payments last for a specified period of time – not for as long as a person is disabled or unable to work – and just 27 percent of people know that employer-provided benefits are typically taxed.
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