What are Your Chances of a Disability?

Will You Become Disabled in Your Lifetime?

While it is easy to assume that a disability “won’t happen to you,” the reality is that your odds of becoming disabled – and in turn, unable to work for a period of time – may be much more likely than you think.

Based on statistics from the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly one in four adults in the U.S. were considered to be disabled in 2018. While that figure might sound high, there are many potential incidents that could lead to a short- or long-term disability.

So, what are your chances of becoming disabled?

Statistically, even if you are currently young and in good health, an individual who is age 35 has about a 50% chance of becoming disabled for at least 90 days before they reach age 65. On top of that, one in seven people who are between the ages of 35 and 65 can contract a disabling condition that will last for five years or longer.

The longer your disability – and in turn, your inability to work – lasts, the more likely it is that you will face significant financial challenges. And, depending on your financial situation, you could feel the cost impact right away.

In fact, approximately one in three adults who are between the ages of 18 and 44 have had an unmet health care need within the past year, primarily due to the cost. This could be due to the reduction in income, the added expenses from their disability – or both.

Further, roughly one in four adults with disabilities in the age 45 to 64 age range did not even have a routine check-up in the past year. But forgoing even routine medical care can oftentimes make matters worse.

Learn more about just how much a disabling condition can cost you. <Link to The Cost of Becoming Disabled post>

Other Effects of Being Disabled

In addition to being costly from a financial standpoint, having a disabling condition can have other negative impacts, as well. For instance, studies show that adults who are living with a disability are more likely to:

• Be Obese – Overall, just over 26% of adults without a disability are likely to be obese. But more than 38% who have disabilities fall into the obese category.
• Smoke – Another harmful health factor – smoking – is also more common if you are disabled. In this case, more than 28% of those who are disabled are smokers, while the odds for those without a disability is less than half of that figure.
• Have Heart Disease – Heart disease is roughly three times more likely in those with disabilities than those without.
• Have Diabetes – Similarly, more than twice the number of those with disabilities, as versus without, are also apt to be diagnosed with diabetes.

The Most Common Types of Disability

Some disabling conditions can be more common that others. According to the CDC, these can include (from the most to the least common):

• Mobility – Serious difficulty with walking and / or climbing stairs
• Cognition – Serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, and / or with making decisions
• Independent Living – Difficulty doing errands alone
• Hearing – Deafness or serious difficulty with hearing
• Vision – Blindness or serious difficulty with seeing
• Self-Care – Difficulty with dressing and / or bathing

Combating the Cost of Disability

While there are some things you can do to reduce the chances of contracting a disability, oftentimes there is no way to fully prevent an unexpected injury or illness from happening. Because of that, protecting yourself financially with a disability insurance plan can provide you with a “safety net”.

Learn more about how you can obtain a disability insurance quote from a top rated provider. <Link to Quote engine>