Medical Insurance In Texas

If you're employed anywhere in Texas, be sure to examine your group medical insurance for any disability coverage. Decide if it's adequate to replace your income should you become disabled. If not, begin your search for the insurance coverage that will prevent your family from suffering any more than they have to if you are disabled.

When you look at the statistics, it's obvious that Texans as well as insurance policyholders across the country have an incorrect view of which types of insurance they're likely to need during their lifetimes. They buy homeowners' insurance to protect their homes and possessions, auto insurance to protect their transportation, and life insurance to provide for their families in the event of their deaths. Often, disability insurance is an afterthought, if a thought at all. But consider the odds of having a loss in any of those categories: home fire, 1 in 88; serious car accident, 1 in 70; death, 1 out of 106. Disability? One in eight!

It's hard to believe, but statistics show that a 30-year-old man has a one in five chance of suffering a disabling accident or medical condition before his planned retirement. For a 30-year-old woman, that figure increases to one in three. Those are scary odds to try to cheat.

The most common disabilities are back injuries and heart disease. I bet you can think of someone affected by each of those right now. Do you really want to roll those Texas-sized dice that you might not be one of them in the future? You don't have to have a dangerous occupation to need disability insurance. Something as simple as picking up a baby at a daycare center could injure your back so much that you couldn't keep your job.

Don't be lured into thinking that you're covered through your employer. Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. About half of employers don't cover short-term disability; only about 40 percent cover long-term disability.

It's possible you could get by on your spouse's income if you're married, but what if you're single? If you have no other means of support, disability insurance is well worth every penny if you can no longer work due to injury or illness.

So, look at those statistics. When you realize what type of odds you have for becoming disabled, check out the coverage you may already have through your employer (including pension plans), Social Security, worker's compensation (available to those whose disability is job related), or other sources. Then evaluate if those benefits will be enough. If not, seek out additional coverage through a medical insurance company serving Texas.