All-American Family’s Vital Need

Darryl is a fourth-generation farmer in Idaho.  During the growing and harvest seasons, he puts in long hours from sun up to sundown every day.  Happily married with a wife and two kids, he lives his life with the utmost responsibility.  Darryl’s finances are always in order but there is one thing that is beyond the fault that precluded him from financial protection that he desperately needed: life insurance.   Although he was disciplined in his medication taking, his condition of Bipolar led to his refusal of coverage by several insurers.  Completely exasperated, he was resigned to the fact that he would not be able to provide loss of income protection to his beloved family until a friend guided him to a plan that would do just that: Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance.

Underwriting Blues

The dilemma that Darryl went through is very common and can be eliminated by AD & D.  Most Life insurance plans, whether term or permanent, require underwriting.  Underwriting is a comprehensive medical review that determines risk worthiness and whether not someone is healthy enough for coverage. Though many plans advertise guaranteed-issue, the fine print says a few questions have to be answered.  Those questions eliminate many people including Darryl with his bipolar.  Though seemingly unfair, underwriting reduces risk to insurance companies as it eliminates those that statistically have a higher mortality rate.  Since bipolar is a serious mental illness, the risk for insurers is high that his plan would payout to his beneficiary.  AD & D has no medical underwriting.

Life Insurance Ownership

In 2020, 54 percent of all people in the United States were covered by some type of life insurance, according to LIMRA’s 2020 Insurance Study. Other findings from the study include:

  • Accidental Death is usually added to health or life insurance policies as riders, or secondary additional add ons to plans.
  • LIMRA says there was a “needs gap” of 16 percent in 2020, which translates to 41 million consumers who say they need life coverage but do not have it.
  • Americans consistently overestimate the cost of term life coverage. Half the population estimates the cost of life insurance at more than three times the actual cost.

Accidental Death and Dismemberment: Sounds Frightening but it Provides Peace of Mind

Some see planning for death to be morbid, and the notion of buying life insurance with a “death and dismemberment benefit” component as scary.  The fact is, many people like David don’t qualify for stand-alone life insurance, but with AD & D, he could get the protection that would provide a payout out for not just work-related but any means of accidental death.  The other component?  Yes, though rare, some people do lose limbs, sight, or hearing because of accidents and David would be covered for that as well.  AD & D plans are added as riders to many health and life insurance policies and could payout even double or triple indemnity, meaning twice or three times the policy’s face value in the event of accidental death or a covered injury.

Unfortunate Statistics

In 2020, unintentional injuries or accidents were the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for around six percent of all deaths. An estimated 200,955 people died from unintentional injuries in 2020, with the highest death rates from unintentional injuries found among the elderly.  The need for AD & D for every adult is real.

Pennies a Day

AD & D plans are inexpensive.  An AD&D policy usually costs $7 to $10 per month per $100,000 of coverage, but how much you actually pay for AD&D insurance depends on your age. The older you are, the higher your premiums.  

Statistically, accidental death is the 3rd most common way to die, and these plans payout just like if someone were to have a traditional life policy for accidents.  For pennies, a day, families like David would have the peace of mind knowing that if he dies in an accident they could get the full payout that they are entitled to.

Regardless, AD&D insurance tends to cost less than traditional.  There are, however,  limitations and a chance that your family won’t actually receive the benefit upon the insured’s death. There is a high likelihood that traditional life insurance will payout compared to an AD&D policy but that it is still better to have some life coverage than none at all.

Better Quality of Life

Families like David’s love to have life insurance.  The husband and wife can sleep easier knowing that they and their families would be well protected in the event of an untimely death.  Life insurance planning doesn’t have to be morbid.  It provides peace of mind and is a responsible component to spousals as they want to protect each other and maintain their quality of life.