New Harris Interactive Survey of Disability Insurance Claimants

AHIP Press Release
Summary of Findings
Interview Schedule

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct a survey of disability insurance claimants to assess their satisfaction with their policy and their experience filing a claim and receiving benefits. Overall, four out of five claimants (82 percent) said that they were satisfied with their disability income insurance policy. Specifically, claimants were satisfied with the process for filing a claim (81 percent), the promptness of the payments (79 percent), the responsiveness of the insurer (75 percent), and the overall communication from their insurer (71 percent).

Other key findings from the survey include:

• Two-thirds of claimants (66 percent) did not encounter any problems with the claims process and for those that did, the vast majority (84 percent) had their problem resolved satisfactorily.
• The vast majority of claimants (96 percent) say it is at least somewhat likely they would have suffered financial hardship if they did not have disability income protection. Furthermore, two-thirds (67 percent) say it would have been very or extremely likely that they would have suffered financial hardship if they had not received private disability insurance.
• Most claimants who utilized innovative programs offered by insurers, such as return-to-work, rehabilitation, workplace accommodations, education benefits, and help starting a business, were satisfied with these programs.
• Most private disability insurance claimants who also received Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (79 percent) said they were satisfied with the process for filing and receiving benefits.
• Ninety-seven (97) percent of SSDI claimants said it was at least somewhat likely they would have suffered financial hardship if they had received only their SSDI benefits and not private disability insurance benefits. A sizeable majority (61 percent) were very likely or extremely likely.