By Erica Bailey
Any individual stands more chances of becoming disabled in his/her life than dying. If you are unable to pursue your regular occupation owing to a mental or physical condition, you suffer from disability. Any kind of disability drains out a large portion of your future savings and leaves you financially debilitated for the present as well. A majority of the population cannot survive without an active income. Disability insurance is therefore required by any individual who depends on an earned income to lead his life.
In case you are unable to work owing to a disability, and if you are eligible, disability insurance pays a part of your wages or salary. Disability insurance assumes equal or greater importance than life insurance. Only a few employers offer disability insurance in the form of group plans. Otherwise individual disability insurance plans can be purchased. Whereas passive income of any individual does not qualify for application, he/she can apply for a maximum of 60% of his/her earned income before taxes as disability insurance.
A short term disability insurance policy is helpful for temporary disability and lasts for a maximum of two years. The benefits are paid only after the paid sick leave days of the individual have been used up completely. A maximum of 40 to 65% of base wages/salary prior to disability is paid.
A long term disability insurance policy assumes relevance only after the benefits of the short term disability policy are exhausted. A portion of the salary keeps coming in under the benefits of the long term disability insurance. Most long term disability insurance policy benefits are indexed to inflation.
If you have decided to purchase disability insurance, it is a good idea to get disability insurance quotes from different insurance companies. These quotes can be got directly from insurance providers. They can also be got online. The procedure involves filling up details in a quote request form and submitting it online.
There are websites that give you disability insurance quotes from many insurance companies, which you can then compare and review for the different options, prices, and benefits that are available. You can then choose the plan that you find most appealing.
The cost of disability insurance from different insurance providers varies on the basis of the benefits that will be paid out, the job/occupation of the applicant, the location where he resides, etc. Calculating the amount of disability insurance require before applying for a policy ensures that you do not pay for more than the required amount of cover. The more expensive disability insurance policies hand out more benefits and for longer periods of time.
Summarizing, disability insurance lessens the financial pains of surviving a short or a long term disability without income.
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