Aflac

May is Aflac's Disability Awareness Month

Did you know that, according to the National Safety Council's 2007 edition of Injury Facts, a disabling injury occurs about every four seconds in America? Did you know that, according to the February 2, 2005 edition of Health Affairs, a leading health policy journal, about half of of all mortgage foreclosures happen because of a disability?

Americans understand the need to insure their cars, boats, homes, jewelry and other valuable possessions, but they have a blind spot when it comes to protecting their most valuable asset -- their ability to earn an income. Many workers assume they're already covered through Social Security, state mandated workers compensation or employer-provided group plans. However, there are numerous holes in this safety net of coverage. Only about 9 percent of the 2.1 million workers who applied for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in 2005 were approved. And those who were approved got an average benefit last year of just $938 monthly -- hardly enough to replace the average worker's income. Workers compensation covers only work-related disabilities, while 90 percent of disabling accidents and illnesses aren't work related.

Employers provide much-needed coverage, but only 36 percent of all full-time employees have access to long-term disability insurance through their employers, according to the Actuarial Foundation.

Many underestimate the risk of a long-term disability. According to a 2007 study by Milliman Inc, the probability of a white-collar worker, ages 35 to 65, becoming disabled for 90 days or longer is greater than one in four for men and three in 10 for women.

Aflac can be there to provide a guaranteed income stream when you are unable to bring home a paycheck.

sally_miller@us.aflac.com