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I second that. I was a contract writer for nine years and purchased an
excellent disability plan from USAA. I have never let it lapse in spite
of the fact that I am now a staff writer at a company with a disability
plan. As Richard pointed out, the statistics are real clear. You are
much more likely to suffer a disability than you are a premature death.
As a single income, I could not afford NOT to have good disability
insurance.
So far, so good.
Candis
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+ccondo=c-cor -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+ccondo=c-cor -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Combs, Richard
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 11:29 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: Medical Disabilty/Contracting/Jobs
Pro TechWriter wrote:
> To the anonymous poster, thank you. I understand your
> distress. Is getting long term disability from Social
> Security a possibility? <snip>
My sympathies, too, to the anonymous poster, and thanks to Jodie. I
suggest everyone view this as a cautionary tale -- as Pro said, you
never know when similar circumstances will strike you.
When my then-associates and I started our own business over 17 years
ago, we purchased individual disability insurance policies -- high-end
ones from New York Life, with strong "own-occupation" coverage,
inflation protection, generous rehab benefits, etc.
Even though I've been a corporate wage slave for almost 8 years now, and
am covered by my employer's group disability insurance, I still maintain
that NY Life policy. It's far more generous and less restrictive than
group policies. The peace of mind is worth the monthly premium to me.
Whether you're a wage slave or independent, you owe it to yourself (not
to mention your loved ones) to prepare for a future disability -- it's
much more likely than premature death. Relying on Social Security
disability simply isn't adequate preparation. It can take 2 years and
the help of an attorney, and it's pretty limited, too.
At a minimum, make sure you're covered by a decent group disability
policy at work. If you can afford it, consider getting a good individual
policy while you're still in good health.
Richard
------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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