Lump Sum Disability andSuffering

Written by Craig Davis on May 28 2013.

Dis-tress: to cause strain, anxiety or suffering.

As a disability insurance professional who has achieved some longevity, I have seen my share of disability and long-term care insurance claims over the years.  And perhaps the professional solace I can take with me has nothing to do iwth the “success” of our business. For me it is all about claim time.  I know I can do absolutely nothing to eradicate the pain of a career ending disability. We are truly powerless in that regard. But though we cannot eradicate the pain- we can soften the suffering.

Suffering is what we do with our pain.  We have experienced how powerful acute financial distress can be—how it zaps mental and physical strength. We have seen how it can be a main contributor to the lack of healing.  Healing is a key word—because we might not “recover”—but we can heal and come to terms with our reality.

This is why I feel zealous about my professional mission. A catastrophic disability impacts not only the disabled individual’s sense of “worth”—but it insidiously impacts the family’s emotional and spiritual dynamic.   I have often heard people say long-term care “compassion” lasts 10 weeks—before the hard and tedious work of caring takes its toll.

I suppose my message cannot be quantified or objectified. But nor can we quantify the emotional “value” of an employee’s current group disability coverage. As it relates to catastrophic disability, it will almost never be enough.  And though we cannot eradicate pain, who can suggest to a permanently disabled individual that a truly significant amount of tax-free lump sum insurance money cannot soften the suffering?