What Is It With Disability And Life Insurance?

I don’t think it’s any secret that there are some things about our country, and please don’t think I don’t love and wouldn’t defend the USA, that just bug me to tears. I had a call from the wife of a disabled veteran today who wanted life insurance. Her husband had been declined by Farm Bureau insurance and she came to me because she had read that I’ve had considerable success in getting insurance for well controlled bipolar disorder.

She did everything she could to explain to me that he should be insurable. He is an athlete and has a very stable and normal life. He’s compliant with his medications so he hasn’t even had an episode of any kind in the seven years since his diagnosis. He’s never considered suicide. The only time he was hospitalized was for diagnosis and getting started on medication. He is one of those people whom you would never know was bipolar unless he told you. I took down all of the information and emailed her because she didn’t know the name of the one drug he is on. While I was waiting for a response it occurred to me that she didn’t describe someone who is disabled, not even a little bit.

And therein lies the rub for me. I run into this kind of situation far more than I should and it’s probably none of my business but, by God, it is since I am one of those who are paying this 36 year old perfectly healthy young man to just hang out and be an athlete (running, tennis, swimming, etc). And the thing is that disability doesn’t even pay much so he has given up the chance to take a more productive road and give his family more opportunity because this money is easy and just deposited in his bank account.

And to frost things off, in case you aren’t familiar with military disability, if he dies the money keeps going to his spouse until she remarries. She wants life insurance to what, go shopping? Finally have the lifestyle that she could have had if her husband and just played with the hand he was dealt?

Now please, before the VA and a bunch of other disability advocate groups get their shorts in a knot, I believe disability should be available and should be given to those that need it. But I also believe that a very large percentage of disability is bogus.

Now understand I could just stay off my soap box and make money selling this guy a life insurance policy, but the truth is that I would be paying him disability so he could pay life insurance premiums to give his wife something that he is too lazy to get off his butt and provide. So I wrote to her, “Help me out here. I have to admit that I have a bias against those who milk the system and I certainly don’t know all of your husband’s details, but from what you said he is certainly stable and high functioning with well controlled bipolar II on one medication? Why doesn’t he blow off the disability and get a job? Forgive me if the question is offensive but in my mind someone who is disabled from bipolar isn’t stable enough to function in social settings like work and therefore not stable enough to be approved for life insurance.”

Bottom line. Didn’t hear back from her. Some other agent will milk the case for a portion of the money that the client has milked us all for. I feel better now. My name is Ed Hinerman and this blog is my opinion every once in a while and life insurance fact the rest of the time.