Critical Illness Insurance for the Small Business Owner

Presented by Tim Dreher What kind of an illness or injury would it take to keep a small business owner at home and away from their business?  A bad case of the flu or a broken arm, probably not.  Most business owners got where they are today by being diligent hard workers who have shown up every day to get the job done.  It would take something more than a little illness or injury to keep them at home.  However, an event such as a heart attack, stroke or a cancer diagnosis probably would. Critical illnesses are striking more Americans every single year.  Some 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with cancer (American Cancer Society) annually.  An estimated 785,000 Americans will have their first heart attack and some 600,000 Americans will experience their first stroke (American Heart Association), and with new advances in medicine, the vast majority will survive. The financial consequences of surviving a critical illness are something few people are prepared for.  A lot of the cost associated with caring for someone with a critical illness is covered by most health insurance plans.  But approximately 67% of all costs associated with a heart attack, cancer and stroke are non-medical costs.  Also, most high-deductible health plans have deductibles and co-pays that can easily run into thousands of dollars and yet they would still need to continue to pay their premiums. Suggest purchasing a Critical Illness policy.  This specialized insurance provides a lump-sum, tax-free payment upon diagnosis should a policyholder suffer from certain specific critical conditions. What a difference a cash payment of $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 or even $100,000 would make to a client when their covered condition is diagnosed. The money could be used to:
  • Pay off a mortgage, or just make the monthly mortgage payments, credit card debt or other loans
  • Supplement lost income as a result of waiting periods, elimination periods or deductibles
  • Find alternate medical treatment that may normally not be covered by most health insurance plans such as experimental treatments
  • Make modifications to their home in order to accommodate different health conditions
  • Or even just to take some time off to heal and not have to worry about their business but instead concentrate on getting well again.
Having a lump sum payment from a critical illness plan paid to your client just might make the difference of the business surviving. Contact your Critical Illness marketing specialist at Financial Brokerage at 800-397-9999 to get additional information about this highly important form of protection.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT GOES INTO A DISABILITY UNDERWRITING DECISION

Presented by Donna Ries The purpose of disability income is to protect your client’s income in the event they should become disabled from an accident or sickness and unable to work.  The following are common areas every disability carrier considers. Age:  Disability income insurance is designed to protect your client’s income during their working years.  The issue age has a direct impact on the premium paid for coverage.  Generally the issue ages are between the ages of 18 – 60 (the higher the age, the higher the premium) and since no one has found a way to reverse the aging process yet, we have to go with their current age. Income:  The benefit amount your client considers has a direct correlation with your client’s income.   The entire amount of income is typically not covered; otherwise, the client would not typically have an incentive to try and return to work.  If your client is paying for their own disability insurance with after-tax dollars, the monthly benefit amount averages between 50% to 60% of their income and it would be paid tax free.  However, if your client’s employer is paying for coverage, or if the employee is paying the premium with pre-tax dollars, a larger monthly benefit is typically allowed because the benefits are taxable to the employee. It is also important to specify if your client is self employed.  If the client’s income is derived from 1099 reportable income, then the amount of income needs to be stated in terms of net income instead of gross income because of the business deductions allowed. Occupation:  Disability protection deals with the type of work your client participates in.  The more hands-on or risky the occupation, the higher the premium could be.   It is important to find out your client’s day-to-day duties and not just a job title to determine their occupational class.  For instance, if your client states that they are a manager, that description is too vague to determine a quote.  A little bit more information will help in determining what occupation class to quote from.  Managing a clerical staff is certainly different from managing a tree trimming crew.  The risk between these two types of managers is significantly different. Health:  Your client’s overall health is taken into consideration.  Height and weight certainly play a role in determining eligibility and each carrier has a slightly different approach with this issue.  Your client’s health history is taken into consideration when determining eligibility and it may necessitate an exclusion if the health condition is significant. These considerations for disability insurance are common factors no matter what carrier you choose for your client.  Having a better understanding of what goes into the underwriting of disability protection will certainly help you better explain the process for your client.  Feel free to call your Financial Brokerage DI marketing specialist at 800-397-9999 to help you pre-qualify your client.  We are here to help you quote and place your next disability case!  

As a Producer, it Might be a Good Time…

Presented by Leonard Berthelsen There has been a fair amount of concern and frustration in recent years among producers and consumers towards long term care insurance and what seemed like never-ending rate increases.  The amount of uncertainty related to increased rates are concerning to both existing clients and new prospects. Rate increases in previously written blocks of business probably will have some additional adjustments in years to come as the carriers grapple with trying to keep those plans above water and still profitable, especially in this low interest rate environment.  We certainly want them to pay their claims and fulfill their commitment to their policyholders, so rate adjustments become a necessary evil. Carriers today now possess more experience with this product which provides an opportunity to better understand the claims process, persistency and mortality which all bode well in the pricing of new plan designs that carriers are implementing.  Carriers are concerned with having to raise rates on clients after they purchase the insurance and are looking for ways to mitigate that issue as much as possible. Some carriers have introduced plans that have small automatic increases in premiums at set intervals throughout the plan’s lifetime.  These plans are still competitive and affordable and this design could potentially prevent rate increases later down the line. Others have brought out plans that have a credit account built into their product that allows the credits, accumulated over time, to be used to offset any rate increase that the carrier may need.  Again, this is another attempt to find a way to minimize the need for rate adjustments later on. Additionally, the hybrid and linked benefit products could be the right product for some clients. If the client is investing money into an annuity, and long term care needs are even a mild concern to them, then having an annuity with long term care benefits might just make sense.  Even if long term care issues never present themselves, the annuity value is still there to provide income or a means of funding their legacy.  There are linked benefit products that give life insurance and long term care equal footing in the plan.  If the long term care benefit is never used then the life insurance is paid out at time of death.  If long term care is needed, then the life insurance amount available for payout at death would be reduced.  The benefits are paid out one way or another. Another option carriers are looking at is pricing for high deductible long term care plans.  A consumer would select a high deductible ($50,000 -$300,000) plan and the insurance benefits would start after the deductible is met. We are seeing a different thought process as well as a different mindset from carriers regarding new innovative product designs.  They realize that their products have to offer the benefits wanted by today’s consumer at a price that is affordable. Long term care insurance products are changing but their importance is not.  There are many different ways to protect your client and their assets from a long term care issue.  The important thing is that you’re having the conversation with your clients about their long term care needs and showing them the many different solutions you can provide.

DISABILITY INSURANCE SOLUTIONS FOR DIFFICULT OCCUPATION CLASSES

Presented by Donna Ries   All occupations have a need for income protection, but some occupations may be more difficult to insure with certain carriers for disability insurance than others.  Two occupations in particular, which have a wide interpretation of DI coverage, are Chiropractors and Paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT). Chiropractors are viewed differently by DI carriers; some are willing to insure them, others are not and even others offer limited benefits.  The nature of their occupation is considered risky by both claim experience as well as the physical demands of the job.  Having to adjust their clients by lifting, bending and physical contact with their clients is considered a manual profession.   In a worst case scenario, some DI carriers would not even consider insuring a Chiropractor.  There are other DI carriers that would insure up to a two year benefit period and still others that would offer a Chiropractor a five year benefit period.  So when we think this profession might be one to avoid when considering DI protection, take another look and you might just be surprised. There is even more diversity in coverage choices available for a paramedic or EMT.   At worst, one DI carrier would not consider this profession for coverage, yet another DI carrier would consider for short term disability only.  There are also DI carriers that would offer a two year benefit and another carrier all the way out to age 67.  With physical exertion and initial patient contact, yes there is increased risk but still insurable. The point is that Financial Brokerage offers multiple DI carriers and solutions for both of these occupations and many more.  With the diversity between multiple DI carriers, you can count on Financial Brokerage to find which carrier would best meet your client’s needs. Give these occupations some consideration and give your DI Sales Manager at Financial Brokerage a call at 800-397-9999.  I think you will be pleased by the outcome.