| Ask these questions when evaluating disability income coverage:
Income protection policies differ from company to company. The following questions will help you find a policy that will provide the most value to you and your family.
1.“When will I be eligible for benefits?”
The language in the policy determines the conditions under which you become eligible for benefits.
Total Disability
The definition of total disability is a key factor in determining how valuable the policy will be during a disability.
ProVider Plus offers a true own-occupation definition of total disability that makes it possible for you to work in another occupation and still be eligible for disability
benefits. It considers you totally disabled if, solely due to injury or sickness, you are not able to perform the material and substantial duties of your occupation, even
if you are at work in another occupation.7
If you are a medical or dental specialist and have limited your occupation to the performance of the material and substantial duties of a single medical or dental specialty,
we will consider that specialty to be your occupation. Residual Disability
Sometimes an illness or injury doesn’t cause a total disability, but it limits your ability to work and reduces your income. Or, you might suffer a total disability and return
to work, but not at your pre-disability level of income. For these reasons, you should look for a policy that provides benefits for partial (also called “residual”) disabilities.
The ProVider Plus Residual Disability Benefit Rider8 provides a benefit when, due to illness or injury, you suffer a loss of 15% or more of your
income. If the loss is 75% or more, we consider the loss to be 100%. Most other companies pay only when your loss of income is 20% or more, and may require a loss of time
or duties.
Should you become residually disabled while your policy is in force, we will replace lost income dollar for dollar, up to the policy’s monthly benefit, for the first 12 months.9
Then, benefits are proportionate to your loss of income and are payable for up to the policy benefit period. Other policies may provide only a single, lump sum payment or
a monthly recovery benefit for a limited period of time.
Call 888-513-2300
2. “How much coverage am I eligible for?”
Up to about 60% of net salary or business income. Most insurance companies place a cap on the maximum coverage they will issue, no matter how high your income is.
3. “When do benefits start?”
All disability insurance policies have an elimination period (or waiting period) — the period of time that must elapse before benefits become payable. ProVider Plus offers
a choice of 6 elimination periods: 30, 60, 90, 180, 36011 and 72012 days.
With ProVider Plus, different periods of disability from the same — or different — cause count toward the elimination period. The days on which you are disabled need
not be consecutive, but may instead occur within a specific accumulation period. For example, policies with a 90-day elimination period have an accumulation period of
210 days.
4. “What are my benefit period options?”
Generally, the shorter the benefit period, the lower the premium will be. With ProVider Plus, you can select from the following benefit period options:
- 2, 5 and 10 years;
- To age 65 and To age 6714
An optional Graded Lifetime Indemnity for Total Disability rider is also available. See page 9 for details. 5. “Can my policy be changed
or canceled, or my premiums raised?”
ProVider Plus is non-cancellable and guaranteed renewable to age 65 (or to age 67)15, meaning we cannot change any policy provision and cannot
increase the premiums as long as premiums are paid on a timely basis. This form of renewability offers the greatest degree of consumer protection.
6. “Will my benefit keep pace with inflation during a disability?”
We offer three optional COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT RIDERS16 that will adjust the monthly benefit to help keep pace with inflation during a disability.
7. “Will my benefit keep pace with earning increases?”
Our optional FUTURE INCREASE OPTION RIDER can help you protect a growing income by providing the opportunity to purchase additional coverage on each policy anniversary
until age 55, without further proof of medical insurability. Applicants must undergo financial underwriting to determine if they are eligible to obtain additional coverage.17
The rider includes special option dates to allow off-anniversary increases for events such as the loss of group long-term disability coverage.
8. “Can I cover retirement plan contributions?”
The RETIREMENT PROTECTION PLUS DISABILITY BENEFIT RIDER helps ensure your ability to save for retirement in the event you become disabled. This coverage is also available
as a stand-alone policy.18 Coverage is available for up to 100% of retirement contributions, including any employer-matching funds.
7 A different true own-occupation definition of total disability applies to policies issued in California.
Contact your agent or broker for complete details.
8 This optional rider is available to select occupations at an additional cost. In California, it is called the Partial Disability Benefit
Rider. Additional conditions and limitations may apply.
9 If you own multiple disability insurance policies, the Loss of Income Indemnity payable under the Residual Disability Benefit rider will
be reduced by benefits payable under those disability insurance policies that were in force before this rider is issued so that the sum of all disability benefits does
not exceed actual lost income.
10 Assumes other policy residual benefits provide a minimum 50% of the total disability benefit during the first six months, followed by a
benefit proportionate to income loss.
11 Not available on policies issued with a 2 Year benefit period in some states.
12 Not available in some states.
13 The elimination period of a disability insurance policy may be referred to in days or months. The ProVider Plus elimination period is in
days. For the purpose of this illustration, one month equals 30 days.
14 To Age 65 and To Age 67 benefit periods available to occupation classes 6-3; 6M-3M
15 ProVider Plus is non-cancellable and guaranteed renewable to age 65 (or 67 with a To Age 67 benefit period), after which it is conditionally
renewable for life, if you are gainfully employed full time. That means that after this time, your premiums can change on an annual basis.
16 This optional rider is available to occupation classes 6-3; 6M-3M for an additional premium and is not necessarily protection against increases
in the cost of living. 17 Restrictions and limitations apply. A Future Increase Option exercised while disabled will not increase the claimant’s
benefit while continuously disabled from the same, original cause. Other in-force disability insurance may reduce the amount of Future Increase Option available for exercise.
Please refer to the language of the Future Increase Option rider for further details. Available to occupation classes 6-3; 6M-3M for an additional premium. 18
This optional rider is available to occupation classes 6-3; 6M-3M for an additional premium. Not available in New Jersey. Retirement Protection Plus is not a pension
plan or a substitute for one. |