Joe Inger and Joel Canfield don’t know each other, but they both know
what it’s like to be suddenly unable to work and earn a living because
of injury or illness. And, thanks to disability coverage, they both have
the time and resources to focus on getting well rather than worrying
about paying the bills.
Inger and Canfield are featured in two new videos from Unum, and their
stories underscore the importance of long term disability benefits in
maintaining financial security and protecting retirement savings. Inger
and Canfield represent the 650,000 disabled workers who received more
than $9 billion in long term disability benefits through
employer-sponsored disability coverage in 2012.1 Annually,
more than 1.4 million workers receive short-term disability benefits
made available by their employers.2
However, roughly 70 percent of Americans still don’t have access to
disability insurance at the workplace.3 Yet Unum’s research
with Consumer Federation of America shows that employees want this
coverage and are willing to pay for it. When polled in 2012, 9 out of 10
workers said employers should make disability insurance available to
them at work. And 86 percent indicated they would be willing to pay half
of a $30-per-month insurance premium.4
Unum has long worked to advance the importance of financial protection
benefits like disability insurance. These videos will help raise
awareness among policymakers, employers and the public about this
essential coverage.
Here’s a brief summary of their stories:
In 2009, Joe Inger was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which
affects the nerves and muscles in his feet and lower legs. Every day
with the neuromuscular disease brings about a new challenge, but Joe
says his disability benefits give him the financial stability he needs
to focus on his rehabilitation and walking again.
“If I did not have my disability benefits, I probably would have
exhausted a large amount of my 401(k) savings,” Joe says in the video.
“Knowing my disability payment is in my account allows me to focus on my
life, getting better, still progressing forward, interacting with
friends and keeping a positive attitude.”
To watch this video, click here.
Contractor Joel Canfield was injured when he fell off a ladder. After
his accident, Joel says he thought he was ruined financially because he
didn’t have a back-up plan or safety net.
“When I found out that Unum was able to help me out with my situation,
the weight of the world was taken off my shoulders,” Joel explains in
the video. “I was so relieved that it made the rehabilitation process so
much easier.”
To watch this video, click here.
For more information about how disability benefits impact the lives of
working Americans, visit the customer
stories section of unum.com or watch this AHIP
video featuring Unum customer Ray Topper.
About Unum
Unum
is a leading provider of financial protection benefits through the
workplace. The disability insurance leader in the U.S. for 36 years,
Unum’s portfolio of financial protection products also includes life,
accident and critical illness, which help protect millions of working
people and their families in the event of an illness or injury. In 2012,
Unum paid $5.5 billion in benefits to nearly 490,000 individuals and
their families.
For more information visit us at www.unum.com
or connect with us on Facebook,
Twitter
and LinkedIn.
1 Council for Disability Awareness, 2013 Long-Term
Disability Claims Review (2013). Represents over 75% of the
commercial disability insurance marketplace.
2 Council
for Disability Awareness, 2012 Long-Term Disability Claims Review,
unpublished data. (2012).
3 Bureau of Labor Statistics,
“National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States,
March 2012”
4 Consumer Federation of America and Unum, Employee
Knowledge and Attitudes about Employer-Provided Disability Insurance (2012)
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