| Disability can occur at any time. While many people | | | | wish to provide for yourself. |
| take their body and health for granted, serious | | | | Long Term Disability |
| accident or injury can happen to anyone and if you | | | | The second common protection against this type of |
| find yourself disable, for a short period or long term, | | | | risk is social security and disability benefits. This |
| how will you cope? | | | | usually only covers employees whose disability lasts |
| Disability insurance is a sub set of health insurance | | | | for a period of 12 months or more. It also must be |
| that will provide the holder with income should they | | | | shown to be so severe that you cannot find gainful |
| become disabled and thus unable to continue earning | | | | employment. Therefore there are some gaps here |
| a living. If this were to happen to you, do you know | | | | that you may be more comfortable providing for |
| what you or your family would do for income? | | | | with private insurance. |
| If you are aged 40, there is a higher chance that you | | | | Individual Policies |
| will be disabled, and thus unable to work for a period | | | | The third method of dealing with this risk is with an |
| of 90 days or more, than of you dying before the | | | | individual disability insurance policy. This means taking |
| age of 65. There are three common ways of insuring | | | | out a private insurance policy yourself. You should |
| against this risk. | | | | shop around to make sure you get the best deal |
| Employer?s Insurance | | | | available, but at least you will have the peace of mind |
| The first is to receive insurance from your employer. | | | | of knowing in what circumstances you are covered |
| This is required by law in many states. It comes as a | | | | and what the terms of the policy cover. |
| form of short or long term paid sick leave. Larger | | | | There are some other sources of protection. |
| employers can have even more generous terms. For | | | | Workman?s compensation policies will sometimes |
| example, a common policy might offer you 60% of | | | | step in to cover you if the injury occurred at work. |
| your salary for five years, or maybe even all the | | | | Auto insurance may provide coverage if the injury |
| way up to retirement. While not everyone is lucky | | | | occurred in a car accident and the Department of |
| enough to work for such a company, it is worth | | | | Veteran?s affairs can advise you if you think the |
| checking with your employer to find out what your | | | | disability is related to service in the armed forces. |
| protection is and whether or not its something you | | | | |