Few people who purchase Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D) actually understand the importance of this plan.  It often appears as a tag-a-long to life insurance.  Nevertheless, it can prove useful to many people who have never thought about it before. 

AD&D pays a benefit if the insured person dies due to an accident as opposed to a disease like heart disease.  If the plan is paired with Life Insurance, the benefit it pays is in addition to the Life Insurance benefit.  The exact amount and any exceptions are listed in your Certificate Booklet or Certificate of Insurance.

But what if you have an accident, and the doctors manage to save your life at the cost of a limb or other essential part? Life insurance only pays your beneficiary if you die.  AD&D pays the insured for certain disabling accidents.  Losing the use of your eyes because of an accident, for example, would change your life drastically.  The insurance still pays a lump sum depending on your loss.  Read your Certificate of Insurance carefully when you purchase the insurance to make sure the coverage is enough for what you might need.  It will do you no good to discover once you have a disabling accident that your insurance wasn’t sufficient.

Please note that if you plan to travel in a country for which the State Department has listed a Travel Warning, make sure your insurance will cover that.  Many AD&D plans won’t cover accidents in countries with Travel Warnings even if the accident is not related to war. 

Good Neighbor Insurance can help you select excellent travel insurance that covers AD&D.

Doug Gulleson loves to scuba dive overseas and he makes sure he always takes his Amex card AND international travel insurance policy.  Visit Good Neighbor Insurance at http://www.gninsurance.com for your next overseas trip and get a FREE quote.