If you have long-term medical conditions or disabilities that could eventually make it difficult, if not impossible, to perform a job and earn an income, you need to make sure that you have a policy in place to help you prepare for the future.
Though most employers offer some form of paid leave for employees to recover from illness or injury and cover any income loss, these benefits are typically limited in time. They may not cover all of your income needs.
What Is a Disability Policy Insurance?
A long-term disability policy is an optional coverage that can provide you with replacement income that will last as long as possible. Even if you have accumulated enough savings or have a healthy retirement plan in place, making contributions can be difficult when you are no longer earning an income. Once you lose your income, you may have to give up work altogether.
How to Find the Best Personal Disability Insurance for You: What You Should Look For
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Disability Definition According to Your Occupation: Disabilities are defined differently for each occupation, so your policy must cover your specific occupation.
If you are in a position where you are at risk of permanently losing your ability to earn an income, you need coverage that will provide you with a replacement income while recovering.
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Must Be a Noncancellable Policy: This type of policy does not contain a cancellation clause that allows the insurance company to terminate the policy for any reason. Look for a policy that you can rely on for the long term.
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Must Include Income Replacement: A traditional disability insurance policy will allow you to collect benefits while you are disabled and unable to work. However, it will only replace a portion of your income.
You may have to use your own money to supplement the cost of your new expenses. On the other hand, a universal policy will replace a large portion of your income so that you can make up the difference as you recover from your disability.
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Must Have Premiums: The premiums for a disability insurance policy will vary, so you should determine how much you will have to pay. Some employers offer disability insurance as a benefit, but you will be limited to the coverage provided by your employer.
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Must Have Residual Coverage: Residual coverage will provide coverage after your policy has run out. Most insurance policies will offer a certain number of years for your coverage, so you need to ensure that you have enough time to recover from your disability.
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Should Have a Flexible Policy: A flexible policy will allow you to make changes to your policy as your circumstances change to get more coverage or pay more premiums if you can do so.
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Should Have a Rider for Long-Term Care: If you are looking for additional coverage, you should consider a disability insurance policy with a rider that covers long-term care.
It will provide you with coverage to pay for the long-term care needs that may develop due to your disability. You can also get a separate policy for long-term care, but you may fix these policies to pay for the same benefit.
Conclusion
Above is the type of policy you will want to look for when buying long-term disability policies. It would be best if you considered looking for a policy that will cover your specific occupation and any other occupations where you are at risk of losing your ability to work.
You should also consider getting insurance that will replace a minimum of 70% of your income to make sure that you can make up for any income losses as you are recovering. Comparing prices and policies is an excellent way to ensure that you are getting the right coverage at the right price.
Whether you need life insurance, health insurance, or disability insurance, Brand and Britt Insurance Agency carefully selected our carriers to provide you with the best service, price, and coverage. Contact us, and we will help you shop for the best coverage for your needs through the many top-rated companies we have.