If you pass away due to a covered accident or are seriously injured, that’s where accidental death and dismemberment insurance comes in. AD&D insurance—short for Accidental Death and Dismemberment—offers coverage in the event of a covered accidental death or injury resulting in dismemberment or loss of certain functions.
4 Examples of Unexpected Circumstances Covered by AD&D
Every two minutes*, an accidental death takes place in the U.S. Considering this, there are several accidental instances where AD&D may be necessary:
1. Freak accidents
Whether it’s slipping on ice, tripping down stairs, or being hit by falling objects, freak accidents highlight the unpredictability of life. Unfortunate accidents are common enough that policies like AD&D exist. For example, the average person has a one in 98 chance of dying from a fall. Having accidental death and dismemberment insurance can ensure you’re safeguarded, helping to reduce stress in daily activities.
2. Recreation accidents
Even activities like running, biking, and boating come with risk attached. AD&D can protect active people from financial fallout. In the event of an accident, an accidental death insurance policy can provide payout for death or a lost limb or function like sight.
3. Traveling
When you travel, your risk can increase as you face unfamiliar environments. Here, AD&D insurance can also prove pivotal, offering insurance protection for the financial consequences of injuries or accidents while away from home.
4. Transportation accidents
If an unexpected accident like a train or bus crash occurs, AD&D offers benefits for passengers and their families. AD&D benefits could include coverage for a loss of limb, sight, speech, or hearing and a death payout. For a car accident resulting in death, some policies may offer additional benefits if a car had airbags, and a seatbelt was worn.
Contact us to learn more about offering your consumers supplemental insurance products.
For most people with AD&D coverage, the assurance of a financial safeguard without the need for a medical exam can be invaluable. Knowing you or your loved ones have insurance protection if you suffer a covered accident provides an extra layer of coverage beyond other insurance you may have, like life insurance. You can read more here about life insurance.
Given that AD&D is guarantee issue, it serves as a supplementary safeguard, seamlessly enhancing existing insurance coverage such as life and health. The benefit of having accidental death and dismemberment insurance is getting additional coverage for covered accidents.
Medical Advancements for Dismemberment Give Hope for Recovery
Experiencing the loss of a limb after a covered accident can be significant and devastating. While nothing can provide full restoration, many patients have seen progress in restoring function thanks to the latest advancements in medical technology. AD&D coverage doesn’t directly pay bills for prosthetics, hearing aids, and similar devices. However, the benefit payouts can be allocated towards these expenses as needed.
Medical advancements for loss of limbs include:
- Prosthetics: Prosthetic limbs now utilize lightweight and durable materials like carbon fiber, enhancing comfort and mobility for users. 3D printing technology allows for highly customized prosthetic designs tailored to individual needs and preferences.
- Osseointegration: Surgically implanting a metal post into the bone, which then protrudes from the skin, can directly anchor prosthetic limbs. Compared to traditional socket-based prosthetics, osseointegration makes it possible to engage in more activities.
- Sensory feedback technology: Sensory feedback systems connect prosthetic limbs to a user’s nervous system, allowing for real-time feedback and control. Johns Hopkins’ newest technology could soon allow prosthetic wearers to feel temperature on their artificial limb.
Medical advancements for loss of hearing, sight, and speech include:
- Bone conduction implants: By bypassing damaged parts of the ear and transmitting sound vibrations directly to the inner ear, bone conduction implants, such as bone anchored hearing aids (BAHA), offer solutions for injury-related hearing loss.
- Corneal transplantation: Newer techniques in corneal transplantation, such as Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) and Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), have improved outcomes for patients with corneal damage due to trauma.
- Voice prosthetics: After undergoing a laryngectomy (surgical removal of the larynx) due to injury, voice prosthetics, like tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis or electrolarynx devices, can help restore vocalization by allowing air to pass from the lungs to the esophagus.
Many times, benefits from an accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy may go toward the costs of replacing a limb. The benefits could be used to fund osseointegration surgical procedures, prosthetic placement, and ongoing rehabilitation. These funds may enable those who’ve lost a limb to access more advanced medical treatments and care, increasing their success in regaining mobility.
Who Needs AD&D? Anyone Who Wants to Limit Financial Risk
Supplemental policies like AD&D can support people from all walks of life. Yet supplemental insurance is often overlooked, usually because of a lack of information. Raising awareness about AD&D can prevent the financial repercussions of getting caught without coverage. Find out how we can help you offer supplemental solutions to your consumers.