Discussing Disability Income Protection
AHIA along with the International DI Society, the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE) and others are using the month of May to heighten awareness of the need and the valuable benefits provided to individuals by disability income insurance.
Disability is common and can happen to anyone. According to the National Safety Council, a person suffers a disabling work injury every nine seconds. Yet a recent survey by the Council for Disability Awareness revealed that 90 percent of workers underestimated their own chances of becoming disabled.
Once disability strikes, your clients are likely to be out of work without pay and will face devastating physical, financial and emotional consequences. The financial burden associated with disabilities is staggering. Disability causes nearly 50% of all mortgage foreclosures and a significant portion of personal bankruptcies are attributed to the costs associated with an unexpected illness or injury.
Americans can't afford to become disabled. Report after report indicates that Americans are increasingly living paycheck to paycheck. They don't save. Credit card debt is high and a growing number are not eligible for a pension.
What about Social Security? For most, the benefits are simply inadequate. The average monthly Social Security Disability Insurance benefit is only $938.
Disability income insurance replaces income, restores dignity and relieves financial concerns when confronted with an unforeseen illness or accident. Yet most Americans are not covered. Worker participation in long-term disability benefits is less than 30% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and it has been estimated that over 100 million workers don't have private disability income insurance. That's a pretty hefty prospect list.
May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month (DIAM) and your involvement is needed. Your participant in DIAM should focus on the local level and is easy if you follow these steps:
Alert your clients, prospects, state lawmakers and local media that May is Disability Insurance Awareness Month. Use the Member Take Action Center at here to local your local public officials and media.
- Write to your state officials urging their support.
- Download, print, affix your business card and distribute the "Ask me how to protect against the financial risk of disability" flyer to clients and prospects.
- Visit and direct your outreach group to www.life-line.org during May to participate in an instant online poll.
- Host a seminar at a local community center or other facility during May.
- Call local radio, TV and cable stations to suggest news stories. Share a real life story of your own or use those highlighted in the flyer.
Your efforts will be augmented in a number of ways including:
- Radio Public Service Announcements
- Aggressive outreach to top-tier consumer print media
- Radio Media Tour featuring LIFE's president David F. Woods, CLU, ChFC
- Advertisement devoted to DI in the May 21, 2007 issue of Newsweek magazine.
