The Smartest Insurance You May Not Have

Disability insurance prevents injury or illness from becoming a major financial catastrophe.

After Salma, an elementary school teacher in Beirut, dislocated her shoulder on a weekend mountain bike ride last April, she assumed she’d be back to work the following Monday. But a visit with her doctor confirmed otherwise.

Salma’s shoulder injury required surgery, and the preparation and recovery would keep her out of the classroom through the end of the school year.

Thankfully, the mother of two had signed up for short-term disability insurance. “I thought it would be a good idea a couple years ago – then I just kept renewing it,” she says. That coverage ended up helping to pay for several thousand dollars in medicine bills while she was out of work.

Disability insurance can help replace your income if you’re unable to work due to an injury or illness. For various reasons, it’s often overlooked – young people especially don’t expect health problems will prevent them from working. Yet, regardless of your age, disability insurance can prevent an accident or ailment from becoming a financial catastrophe.