LIVING BENEFITS RIDERS

It may come as a surprise, but certain life insurance policies will help you not only provide for your family after your death, but for your own needs while you are alive. The number one way a life insurance company can help you prepare for your (living) future is through a living benefits riders.

There are different types of living benefit riders for: terminal illness, critical illness and chronic illness.

• A terminal illness rider is a part of a living benefits life insurance plan that allows you to access the cash value of your policy prior to your demise in the event that you have a terminal illness. Sometimes this is included in your life insurance policy and other times you may have to pay more to add it on. In some instances, you may have to pay more only if you want to have more flexibility in what your terminal illness rider can and cannot do.

How terminal illness riders work: upon being diagnosed with a terminal illness with a life expectancy of one or two years, depending on the carrier, the carrier will pay out to the policy owner up to 50-80% of the face amount of the policy with a cap typically around $1,000,000. For example, someone diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer can access his or her policy for up to $1,000,000. This money can then be used for various things including hospice, health care, medical bills, gifts to family or paying off debt.

• A chronic illness rider is similar to a terminal illness rider, though for other serious health problems which may not necessarily be terminal. In order to be determined chronically ill, a person must be unable to perform two of the six ADLs (activities for daily living) without help from another person or be mentally impaired. The six ADLs include eating, dressing, going to the bathroom, bathing, holding your bladder, and walking.

How a chronic illness rider works is the policy owner can access a portion of their death benefit in a lump sum to cover expenses. There are even chronic illness riders that offer additional benefits, such as the owner receiving a stream of monthly payments up to 100 percent of their remaining death benefit.

• Critical illness insurance can be a separate policy or life insurance rider. Critical illness insurance pays out a lump sum cash benefit payment if you are diagnosed with a critical illness, such as heart disease, stroke, paralysis, kidney disease or cancer.

When you buy a term or whole life insurance policy with the appropriate living benefits rider attached you will be able to choose how much of your policy will be accessible prior to your death and under what circumstances. Usually, a rider allows you to access a percentage of the death benefit of your policy.

This money will help you to cover your medical expenses, lifestyle needs, and other needed arrangements including health care. Buying a policy with a rider will help you prepare you for your greatest time of financial need.

Any kind of health issue makes obtaining life insurance very difficult. If you are lucky enough to get covered while battling chronic illness, it is not likely that you will qualify for rider coverage. That’s why it is very important that you have life insurance prior to having major health concerns.

Typically, life insurance benefits are not taxable. However, all states have different tax laws, so it is important that you speak with a tax or legal adviser to know the taxation rules for rider policies. It is possible that you will have to pay tax on your policy. You may also jeopardize public funding like Medicare and Medicaid. That’s why you should speak with an expert.

Whether or not you think you want a rider is a personal preference. Some people may be in a financially good place with great medical care that will run well into their 80s. Other people may have more uncertain futures. Getting an insurance policy with a critical illness rider is really up to you and your particular need. However, be aware that not all life insurance policies come with a terminal illness or chronic illness living benefits rider.

If you are trying to decide whether or not to get a policy with living benefits rider, then why not call IUL Advisors? We can help give you the facts about policies from dozens of different life insurance companies throughout the United States. Some of them have riders, some of them don’t. We will also take the time to get to know your personal situation to help you assess whether it’s a good idea or not.