Physically Demanding Nature Of Police Work
Being a police officer is physically demanding work. Officers often work long hours, carrying heavy equipment or driving for hours at a time in a patrol car. They might also be injured on the job, either via gunshot wound or injuries to the back or neck from years of physical exertion. The officers may legally obtain prescriptions for pain medication from their doctors but ultimately turn to opioid abuse as a way to cope with their chronic pain.
Police officers rarely have a typical and predictable 9 to 5 work schedule. In fact, rotating shifts are common. Officers may work several consecutive days of ten-hour to twelve-hour shifts, followed by several days off. They may work a night shift, only to come back and work a day shift the next afternoon. They may be unable to sleep between shifts or on their days off due to disruptions in the bodys sleep-wake cycle or due to on-the-job stressors, leading to an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and physical health problems.
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Is It Considered A Risk
As mentioned earlier, obtaining additional life insurance for law enforcement officers is not considered a risk whatsoever. Most of the police officers may fear that because their job is risky, the life insurance companies may charge them extra for coverage. Life insurance companies, however, are surprisingly lenient when it comes to police officers.
And since you are not denied to buy life insurance on top of the work insurance you already have, you can choose to explore the market to find the best rates. One good thing about life insurance for police officers is that the process of acquiring the same is as simple as that of a normal citizen. Also, options and procedures remain the same.
Why Is Life Insurance For Police Officers Important
As a law enforcement officer, your life is always at greater risk while protecting the citizens. Remember that a police officer always follows instructions from their commander. As such, they can put themselves in risky situations while executing their daily duties. Even if you are a police officer, you still have a family to protect. So, you need to be concerned about your familys financial security in case you pass on while executing your duty.
Being a police officer does not mean you can only die by the gun. There are many ways a police officer can put his life in danger. Some of the dangers of police officers may include:
- Traffic Accidents- Traffic police officers spend most of their time on the highways. While patrolling, they can be knocked by careless drivers who are trying to escape the long arm of the law.
- Careless Shootings- Police officers have been authorized to carry and use firearms. While on duty, they can shoot one another due to a disagreement, or through careless mishandling of firearms.
- Acting as First Responders- Police officers are usually placed on risky situations like crime scenes or daylight robberies. Any law-breaker around the scene would want to fire at any police officer on sight first to escape.
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Yep But You Need To Speak To An Agent
Police Life Insurance is easy to obtain. They get the same rates as the general public. The question is what sort of coverage works best for them and why.
Its always a good idea to check your benefits package to see if your coverage is adequate to keep your family in the lifestyle theyve become accustomed to. Chances are its not. If you have a young family, I recommend a minimum, 10 15 times your gross salary in coverage. So if you make $60K per year I would recommend at least $500K to $1 million in coverage.
Another issue to consider is longevity. Will you be in the police force forever? If not portability should be considered. This is another reason to consider purchasing coverage independently.
What Is Life Insurance For Police Officers
If youre a police officer looking for life insurance, the good news is that there is no shortage of life insurance companies that will sell you a policy, and usually at a standard rate. Life insurers typically do not charge police officers extra premiums because of their occupation.
Like every other civilian purchasing life insurance, police officers will find they have access to all types of policies, including the three most popular: whole life, term life, and no-medical-exam life insurance. Lets take a brief look at each.
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Are There Auto Insurance Discounts Available For Police Officers
Drivers that are employed as law enforcement officers have access to special discounts that can save them hundreds of dollars each year on car insurance. Most of the large insurance companies offer these types of discounts.
The average cost of car insurance for a police officer will vary from state to state. For example, auto insurance is much more expensive in California than it is in Montana. This is due to factors like the number of cars on the road and the population density.
However, as a general rule, police officers tend to pay a few hundred dollars less per year for car insurance than other drivers in their states. In 2019, the average 6-month premium cost for police officers insured with GEICO was $602. State Farm rates were also low, coming in at $647.
These figures are an average across all states. As such, your specific place of residence will impact your exact rates.
How Can I Find The Best Term Life Insurance Rates
The first step to getting the best is connecting with an experienced independent agent specializing in life insurance products.
Finding the best rates is a streamlined and straightforward process. The first step is to save time, connect with an independent agent, and let him do all the leg work. This is an agents job, and there is no cost or obligation for the assistance.
We can give you a quick medical pre-screen if you have any medical conditions and help you choose the appropriate carrier for your needs. The most crucial step is to apply with the right life insurance company that will be the most competitive with their rates for you specifically.
Achieving the best health classification will allow you to receive the best rates. All insurers underwrite their applications differently, so using the correct insurer is essential.
Your rates will mainly be based on your health history and whether you use tobacco products. Tobacco rates can easily be over 250% more than a non-smokers rates.
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What Happens If Theres A Delay In The Insurance Company Paying
You should receive your 4850 benefits within two weeks of being unable to work. An unreasonable delay can be a penalty of up to 25% of the amount delayed under Labor Code Section 5814.12
Example: Nicole, a police officer, is injured on the job and taken off work by her doctor. Because she is a police officer she is eligible for 4850 benefits. She can receive full pay for one year. Based on a salary of $78,000 a year, Nicole earns $1,500 a week. As benefits are paid every two weeks, she is paid $3,000 every two weeks.
Because these benefits are not taxed, Nicole will receive more money net than if she were working.
If Nicole were not a police officer, she would only receive two-thirds of her average weekly wage, or $1,000, and be paid $2,000 every other week.
If Nicole continues to miss work after receiving one year of full-salary, her benefits after the first year will be lowered to the $2,000 payments for up to another 52 weeks.
Certain medical conditions are presumed to be related to an officers line of work.
The Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act
The FOP strongly supports the passage of H.R. 962/S. 1888, the Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act. This legislation would expand the definition of law enforcement officer for retirement benefits to include all Federal law enforcement officers.
Nearly 30,000 Federal law enforcement officers do not receive the same retirement benefits as their other Federal law enforcement colleagues. This legislation would provide all law enforcement with 6 retirement benefits and the ability to retire after twenty years of service at the age of fifty or after twenty-five years of service at any age. This same benefit is currently received by most Federal law enforcement officers. This bill will also provide for savings in training costs, improve recruitment and retention of qualified officers, and enhance public safety.
In addition to granting these law enforcement officers the retirement benefits they deserve, the legislation will also save taxpayers money. The increased cost would be more than offset by the savings in training, because recruitment and retention are problems Federal law enforcement agencies face today. This is especially true for agencies whose officers do not have LEO status. We believe extending these benefits would help increase recruitment and retention rates.
Most importantly, an investment in these officers will pay unquantifiable dividends in national security and public safety for the value of highly trained and experienced law enforcement is immeasurable.
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Protect Yourself And Your Family While You Protect Others With Life Insurance For Police Officers
Were reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We dont compare all products in the market, but were working on it!
Life insurance for police officers can give you peace of mind and financial security should something go wrong. You can also select how much you want to be covered for, so you know you’ll be leaving your family with enough to pay off mortgages, loans and other debts.
Compare Life Insurance For Police Quotes
Whether youre a police constable, chief inspector, fire-arms specialist or community support officer – life insurance is pretty essential if you have a family and home to protect.
At Reassured, we can help you secure suitable life insurance today.
We can compare multiple quotes from a variety of providers, to ensure you receive the best deal.
Why not make the most of our fee-free and FCA-regulated broker service today?
Get in touch with our friendly team to get started on your life insurance journey.
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Is Critical Illness Cover Available For Police Officers
Yes much like other types of cover previously mentioned, critical illness cover is available from a variety of insurance companies. Each of these insurers differs slightly when it comes to critical illness cover for police officers so its important to understand whats covered and what is excluded as not all policies are the same.
Critical illness cover is designed to pay a lump sum to you if you get diagnosed with a serious health condition, most commonly including:
More about critical illness cover
Why Use An Independent Agent
Even for the normal citizens, finding the right life insurance policy has never been an easy task. Remember the market is full of insurance companies that claim to offer the best rates, thus getting one with the type of policy you want can be tricky. What is even more confusing is finding a service provider with affordable rates. That is why the involvement of a seasoned independent agent is very important.
If you are a police officer scouting for affordable life insurance, using an agent to act on your behalf is highly advisable. An experienced agent that works with multiple companies can help you locate a good insurance company with the most favorable premiums. Independent life insurance agents are properly-versed with the market, and can, therefore, find a good deal for you.
Apart from helping you get competitive rates, the agent can guide you through all the confusing issues so you can acquire the best policy with a lot of ease. Always consider working with a knowledgeable independent agent if at all you want to save time and money.
Life insurance is available to police officers just the same way it is available to everyone else. Any police officer is entitled to an affordable term, permanent and universal life insurance rates. Being a law enforcer should not disqualify you from obtaining the best life insurance coverage. By using an independent life insurance agent, you are likely to land the most competitive rates in the market.
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Insurance Archives Fraternal Order Of Police
This coverage is designed as a lodge-paid benefit of membership. Insurance. Accident, Critical Illness and Life Insurance. Active & retired FOP members have Police and Fire Florida Statutory Accident Insurance from Chubb Accident & Health is designed for law enforcement officers and firefighters who suffer
What Are The Available Options
Just like other civilians, police officers have access to all types of life insurance policies. As stated earlier, law enforcement officers are not discriminated when it comes to acquisition of life insurance. Right from the process of application to the options available, everything remains the same. What usually changes are the rates at which their premiums are charged. But mostly this occurs on the side of their occupation.
The available types of policies are term, permanent and no-medical-exam life insurance policies. The policies are outlined below:
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Take Care Of Yourself
While your occupation can play a role in your insurability and rates, its not the only thing that life insurers look at. They also look at your medical history and your lifestyle. Maintaining good health through a healthy diet, not using tobacco products, and having regular check-ups can help you earn a lower rate.
Its important to put your safety, health, and wellness first. This is also true when it comes to providing for your family.
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Do Police Officers Need Life Insurance
It depends on what your circumstances are outside of being a police officer. You only really need life insurance if you have financial dependents i.e. other people who rely on your income, like a partner or children. Dependents are the people whod be financially affected if you died, and who you take out life insurance to protect.
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Companies Issuing Policies To Police Officers
Many insurance companies issue life insurance policies, but these are some of the best ones dealing in life insurance for police officers:
- Protective: This company offers competitive pricing, policies with terms of 35 to 40 years and policies that can be renewed up until age 90. One drawback is limited options for no-exam life insurance. Protective also charges much more for policies issued to tobacco users.
- Banner Life: Banner Life is known for low rates, excellent customer service and policy terms of up to 40 years. The company doesn’t issue policies exceeding $1 million in coverage, however.
- Lincoln Financial Group: LFG offers several types of life insurance, makes coverage decisions quickly and offers no-exam life insurance to nonsmokers. One drawback of working with this company is that it doesn’t issue whole-life policies.
Insurance Underwriting Factors Unique To Police Officers
As is the case with all high-risk occupations, the insurance company will want to know the specifics of your job.
Obviously, police work isnt a single job, but one with many variations. Those variations can have an impact on your premium.
The insurance company will consider the following factors in connection with your occupation:
- Do you work in the office or out on patrol? If you work in the office, its unlikely your premium will be adjusted for your occupation. But if you work on patrol, your occupation will be considered riskier, resulting in a slightly higher premium.
- The type of cases you normally handle. If your job mostly involves traffic control and routine police work, your premium may be adjusted slightly or not at all. But, if youre dealing with a high crimes unit, you should expect to pay a higher premium.
- Use of safety equipment. If you routinely make use of protective equipment, like bulletproof vests, your premium will be lower. Its similar to safety equipment in a vehicle when purchasing auto insurance.
- Carrying a gun. This may seem absurd on the surface, since most police officers do carry a gun. But it will be a factor in determining your insurance premium. Even if you are not involved in a high-crime job, carrying a gun increases the risk of armed confrontation. Theres also the possibility of being a victim of friendly fire, a firearm accident, or even a shooting death as a result of a conflict between two police officers.
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Why You Need Personal Coverage
Many employers offer life insurance through your job. In almost every case, this is not enough to provide for your family in case you would pass away. If you are single, you may be fine using life insurance from your employer alone. Otherwise, you should look into an additional life insurance policy.
No matter what, you should get familiar with the policy provided by your employer. Sit down and look at the numbers. What does your family need if you pass away? Is what your employer provides enough? Its useful to take some time to make sure youre in the right place rather than assuming you are.
The problem is that your employer may only offer a small amount of life insurance. It might be one to two years of your salary. Some employers will provide life insurance that covers up to four years of your salary. For most people, that isnt enough, so your family will be left in a tough place.
To figure out if you need an additional life insurance policy, you should consider whether your family would be able to survive on one year of your salary. If not, then you will need to get more life insurance. This is often the case when you are the sole provider. If someone else in the household can provide for the family, less life insurance may be needed. It never hurts to have extra coverage, though.