First-hand experience about the importance of life insurance

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, an industry-wide campaign that educates people about the importance of protecting their loved ones with life insurance. I have had first-hand experience of how coverage or lack of coverage can change families’ lives.

Appreciation for protection early in my career

As I think about the significance of this campaign, I recall my early years in the Navy as a division officer. Over a period of years, I had the unfortunate duty of having to communicate on multiple occasions the loss of a service member’s life to their spouse and family. Although the Navy had a strong program of bereavement support and an ombudsmen program to ensure families were able to connect with appropriate support resources, it never seemed to be enough to manage the shock they felt over the loss of their loved ones. It also created an almost immediate anxiety for their future financial security.

Unfortunately, it was also the exception rather than the norm, where a service member had acquired appropriate insurance to provide financial protection for their families in the event of their death. On a personal level, it gave me a great appreciation for the need to plan for the unexpected. My wife and I took steps to ensure our family was protected financially.

As I continued my career outside of the Navy, and began a career in healthcare, I continued to experience instances where either having life insurance or not having life insurance had a significant impact on the families of colleagues or friends. So I have always personally appreciated the importance of life insurance but had never really understood the challenge and importance of reaching the very large segment of our population whose families remain unprotected.

Only 3 in 5 adults own life insurance.

Daily reminders of the importance of life insurance coverage

My time at ExamOne has changed that. It has helped me recognize the sheer volume of life insurance applications that are processed in a single day, while also understanding there are many more people who haven’t yet applied for coverage. According to a recent LIMRA study, only 3 in 5 adults own life insurance – there’s a very large segment of our country, which doesn’t have adequate protection for their families. I am honored to be associated with ExamOne and the life insurance industry. We are proud to support an industry whose noble mission is to ensure all families are provided the financial security and peace of mind afforded by life insurance.

Dedicated to increasing awareness

Throughout September, our teams are focused on increasing awareness. We offer educational videos and materials that agents can give to their clients to highlight the value of life insurance and living a healthy lifestyle. These resources are available throughout the month via the ExamOne website, social media and email channels. On the home front, we will be hosting an employee walk – in coordination with our theme of “Taking Steps to Protect”. Our employees work very hard throughout the week and this walk is an opportunity for some of them to step away from their desk, take a healthy brisk walk and learn more about health, wellness and safety topics.

While September is a special month-long recognition of the importance of life insurance, it’s crucial that we continue to provide our clients with insightful health data, behavioral data and personalized services throughout the year. This sense of purpose is why we show up to work each day. Our eagerness to help is something that won’t be limited to one month of awareness.

I recognized the value of life insurance many years ago, and now I am fortunate to be part of an organization that supports the very important and noble mission of providing this protection to families on a daily basis.