Many feel they can rely on workers’ compensation benefits if the need arises, but do you know those benefits are only for those injured from a work-related accident or illness? We all know that most illnesses are not work related and just a few states offer temporary disability programs, and those have limited benefits.
We give higher priority to other insurance needs and forget the need to protect against disability. This is a misguided thought because anyone can become disabled. Weekend sports injury, automobile accident along with any number of chronic conditions, will restrict anyone’s ability to work. Actually, the risk of disability is higher than the risk of premature death.
Statistics from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners show one out of four people will not be able to work for at least ninety days during his working years. We tend to think of disability as being due to an injury, and that is another reason we minimize the risk. According to findings by a leading disability research and consulting firm, 90 percent of disability is the result of illness. Among the leading causes are: diseases of the musculoskeletal system, connective tissue, circulatory system and various forms of cancer.