Group life and disability forWashington employers.

Guaranteed issue is the real advantage.

Group life and disability are usually inexpensive per employee, but the bigger benefit is that most group plans offer coverage up to a guaranteed issue limit without medical questions. An employee with a health history who could not buy individual cover, or could only buy it at a steep rate, gets covered automatically.

Disability is the one employers underrate. For most working people their income is their largest asset, and a short-term disability claim is far more likely than a death claim during working years. If someone is off for three months, short-term disability is what keeps their mortgage paid.

Washington also has its own Paid Family and Medical Leave program, which interacts with private disability coverage. Getting the two to work together rather than overlap is worth a conversation.

• Basic group life, often with AD&D included
• Voluntary life employees can buy for themselves and dependents
• Short-term disability for the first weeks or months out
• Long-term disability for serious, extended claims
• Coordination with Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave