Graded Lifetime
Extension Benefit Period*
This contract is one of the few policies
today to offer a "lifetime" benefit period. Our Graded Lifetime Extension
Benefit Period (X45) is designed specifically to assist you in completing
your retirement planning in the event you become disabled. Consider this:
Your retirement savings will be accumulated during your working years-yet
a total disability could force you to stop making contributions. This can
be particularly devastating if you are disabled when you are young. On the
other hand, the older you are when you become totally disabled, the more
time your retirement savings will have had to grow. After age 65, the
larger fund would reduce the amount of benefit needed from a disability
income insurance policy.
Consider a policy that pays a $5,000
monthly benefit, with a graded lifetime (X45) extended benefit period. If
you are totally disabled at or before age 45 and remain disabled to age
65, we will pay you $5,000 a month (100% of the total disability benefit)
for the rest of your life, as long as you remain totally disabled.
If you are totally disabled at age 50 and
remain so until age 65, under the same policy you would receive $5,000 a
month till you reach age 65. After that, as long as you remain totally
disabled, the lifetime benefit would be 75% of the monthly benefit for
total disability, or $3,750 a month for life. This is because the amount
of monthly benefit payable after age 65 is determined by your age at the
time total disability began-it reduces 5% for each year beyond age 45 that
your disability begins.
The Graded Lifetime Extension Benefit
Period is available to Dentists in ALL Dental Specialties.
Cost of Living
Adjustment Rider*
During an extended disability traditional
fixed dollar benefits can't help you keep pace with inflation. This is why
a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Rider is an important benefit. The COLA
rider, annual adjustments to the monthly benefit begin after 12 months of
disability and continue to age 65. The increases are tied to the Consumer
Price Index (CPI-U) up to a maximum compounded annual rate of 3% or 6%,
whichever you choose.
Most other DI companies also offer COLA
riders. But some offer only fixed interest adjustments. Others offer only
simple rather than compounded rates, and some actually impose a cap on
increases prior to age 65. We, of course, compound annually and our rider
adjusts benefits at the end of each 12 months of disability with no limit
before age 65.
COLA Increases
Remain Upon Recovery
What happens to COLA
increases when you recover? Any increases to the monthly benefit due to
indexing remain as part of the policy's base benefit - at no additional
premium until you reach age 65.* Other companies typically revert to the
original benefit or allow you to buy up to the indexed benefit by paying
additional premiums.
Future Increase
Option Rider*
If you expect to have significant income
growth you may need a Future Increase Option (FIO) Rider. It offers you
the opportunity-each year until you reach age 55-to purchase additional
coverage with-out providing evidence of medical insurability.
The amount of the Future Increase Option
added to the base policy can be up to twice the base benefit plus all
other in-force. Until you reach age 45 you can exercise the entire FIO
amount on your option date if your income justifies it. Once you become
45, up to one-third of the FIO amount is available in any one year. Few
other companies offer you such flexibility. The Future Increase Option
Rider is available to ALL Dental Specialties.
Automatic
Increase Rider
Many individuals expect to receive regular
increases in income over the years. The Automatic Increase Rider (AIR) is
a convenient way to keep your coverage in line with your needs before you
are disabled. It provides a 4% automatic increase in your monthly benefits
each year for five years at attained age premiums. No applications, exams
or blood tests are required. Increases are offered despite any changes in
your health or occupation, and you may refuse an increase without
forfeiting any scheduled remaining increases. Before you reach age 60 you
may apply to extend the AIR for additional five-year periods. Because
compound interest is used to calculate increases, your total monthly
benefits will have increased by 2 1.6% at the end of five years! AIR
represents a convenient, flexible way for you to insure your increasing
income - and insure against changes in your health or occupation - before
you become disabled. The automatic increase rider is available to All
Dental Specialties.
Group Disability
Insurance Replacement Rider
The Group Disability
Insurance Replacement Rider allows you to increase the monthly coverage of
your Provider Plus policy if your group long-term disability (LTD) plan
terminates. Your group LTD may be terminated for one of two reasons: Your
employment terminates, or your employer ends the group LTD plan and
doesn't replace it.
We require no evidence
of good health in order for you to exercise our Group Replacement Option,
but you can only use it once over the life of the policy. The rider itself
is renewable to age 60 or until the date you exercise it. In order to
exercise the replacement option, you must provide details of your income,
employment and other insurance in force or for which you are eligible.
Unemployment
Premium Waiver Option Rider*
We also offer an
Unemployment Premium Waiver Option Rider. Under this rider, we will waive
your Provider Plus premiums if you become unemployed. To qualify for
benefits under this rider you must receive unemployment compensation for
at least 60 consecutive days. Your premiums will be waived for 12 months
even if you return to work. You can only exercise this option once over
the life of the policy; the rider itself is renewable to age 60 or until
the date you exercise it. * Not available in all states.
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