Additional findings from the analysis include:

About 1 in 3 workers will be disabled for at least 6 months during his or her earning years, with the median length of disability being 2.5 years.
Most Americans do not have the financial resources to pay their bills if they become unable to work. More than 70 percent of American households could not pay their normal living expenses if a wage earner is disabled for six months.
Employers today spend $10 billion in premium each year to provide disability insurance to 40 million workers. Collectively, this insurance generates $590 billion in economic welfare for employees.
The $21 billion employers currently spend on group life insurance generates up to $3.5 trillion in economic welfare for 75 million covered employees.
Group disability premiums can be as little as $25 per month or $300 per year, and group term life insurance premiums for someone just starting a career can be less than $1 per year per $1,000 of death benefit.
An employee in his twenties earning $40,000 to $50,000 per year suffering a disability can obtain well over $1 million in payments from an employer-sponsored disability plan.
In 2009, only 60 percent of civilian wage earners were covered by group life insurance, and only 32 percent were covered by group long-term disability insurance.
Wage earners with disability coverage are much less likely to fall into poverty if they become disabled, and therefore are less likely to require public financial assistance.

Instant Insights /

Disability insurance saves taxpayers $4.5 billion