<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; =
-khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><BR><DIV><DIV>On Jan 19, 2006, =
at 2:56 PM, <A href="mailto:Wimblees@aol.com">Wimblees@aol.com</A> =
wrote:</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><BLOCKQUOTE =
type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" =
face="Arial" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" =
style="font-size: 10px;">As a standard, Social Security will pay =
benefits when you are not able to perform any duties of any job after =
being totally disabled after 6 months. The payments will continue as =
long as you are in that condition. How much the payments are I don't =
know, but I assume it is what senior citizens are getting when they =
retire.</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>It usually takes an =
experienced lawyer a couple of applications to get you Social Security =
disability benefits. I have long forgotten how the SS disability =
benefits are calculated. I've seen some pretty lame (pun intended) =
injuries qualify for benefits, but it will take you a lawyer to help you =
get them.</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE =
type="cite"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: =
separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: =
Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: =
0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; =
white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><FONT =
id="role_document" face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2"><DIV =
style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; "><SPAN =
class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; =
">The definition of disability also varies, from not being able to =
perform your "normal" duties, to not being able to do anything in your=
trained profession. My policy says my "normal" profession. In other =
words, if I did loose my hearing, my policy would cover =
me.</SPAN></DIV><DIV style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10px; =
"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; =
font-size: 10px; =
"> </SPAN></DIV></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV>I just found =
mine. It says (these are more or less the definitions I remember from =
college):</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Definition of =
Disability:</DIV><DIV>You are disabled if you meet one of the following =
definitions during the period it applies:</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>A. Own Occupation =
Definition of Disability;</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>(You are disabled from your =
Own Occupation if, as a result of Physical Disease, Mental Disorder, =
Injury or Pregnancy, you are unable to perform with reasonable =
continuity the Material Duties of your Own Occupation)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>You may work in another =
occupation, while you meet the Own Occupation Definition of Disability. =
If you are disabled from your Own Occupation, there is no limit on your =
Work Earnings in another occupation. (although there may be a =
deductible income issue -- they basically don't want you to earn more on =
disability than before you were disabled)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>B. Any Occupation =
Definition of Disability; or</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>(You are Disabled from Any =
Occupation if, as a result of Physical Disease, Mental Disorder, Injury =
or Pregnancy, you are unable to perform with reasonable continuity the =
Material Duties of any gainful occupation for which you are reasonably =
fitted by education, training and experience)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>C. Partial Disability =
Definition.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>(During the Any Occupation =
Period, you are Partially Disabled when you work in an occupation but, =
as a result of Physical Disease, Mental Disorder, Injury or Pregnancy, =
you are unable to earn more than the Any Occupation Income Level in that =
occupation and in all other occupations for which you are reasonably =
fitted under the Any Occupation Definition of Disability.)</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I left out the complicated =
stuff, and changed around the order as it appears in the policy to =
simplify the explanation but that's the general idea. There are =
issues like "deductible income" but I'm looking at the supplemental =
policy. I don't have the state disability policy in front of me. The=
benefit is usually some percentage of current income, depending on what =
you're paying for (you don't get many options with a group plan), and =
also varies depending on which definition of disability you meet, but =
remember, social security benefits are also available, although they may =
be "deductible income".</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>You just have to look at =
each plan. The law requires that the language to be understandable by =
us regular joes who aren't lawyers, so you should be able to make heads =
or tails of it. Also, your agent, although he's not going to want to, =
should be able to supply you with a copy of a policy to be able to read =
before you purchase it, and I seem to recall that you are supposed to =
have the right to refuse for something like three days after you've =
received your individual policy as well.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Man! been a =
while.</DIV><DIV><BR =
class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Jeff</DIV></BODY></HTML>=