Assessing Your Long Term Disability Risks

Long term disabilities (LTD) can happen suddenly or due to ongoing health issues. Most people think it will never happen to them, but statistics show otherwise. Large numbers of people from all age groups and demographics end up struggling with long term disabilities at some point in their lives. These can leave you unable to work, jeopardizing your ability to provide for yourself and your loved ones, both now and in the years to come. To protect yourself, it is important to be aware of your LTD risks. 

Factors That Increase Your Risk For Long Term Disabilities

Long term disabilities can occur as a result of accidental injuries, sudden illnesses, or due to chronic health conditions. Unfortunately, they are far more common than most people think. According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), roughly a quarter of all 20-year-olds will eventually suffer some type of long term disability before reaching retirement age. It is important to review your health history and your lifestyle for factors that could increase your LTD risks. These include: 

• A family history of medical conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other hereditary issues;
• Any current chronic conditions you suffer from or past injuries that occurred;
• Your current lifestyle and any unhealthy habits you engage in, such as smoking, drinking too much, not getting enough exercise, or overeating;
• Factors of your job, such as repetitive tasks, heavy lifting, or exposure to potentially toxic substances. 

 If Long Term Disabilities Happen, are You Covered?

There are steps you can take to reduce the risk of long term disabilities. These include living a healthier lifestyle, taking safety precautions at your job, going to your doctor for regular checkups, and following all of their instructions regarding testing, treatment, and medications.  There are also actions you can take to ensure you are protected in the event long term disabilities do occur. 

One of the most important is to review any existing long term disability insurance coverage you have in place through your employer. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, requires employers to provide copies of all policy-related documents to their employees, free of charge and at your request. Other steps you can take to protect yourself include: 

• Review any Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits you may be entitled to.
• Review all of your monthly benefits to determine if your current coverage is enough to meet expenses;
• Consider putting a private long term disability insurance policy in place.   

Contact Our Chicago Long Term Disability Attorney

Do not let long term disabilities take you by surprise. At Bartolic Law, our goal is to ensure you are protected and that you obtain the benefits to which you are entitled. To request a consultation, contact our Chicago long term disability attorney today.