A recent study by WellPoint and published in MarketWatch.com has found that Americans believe in doing the right thing when it comes to protecting themselves. After all, we support recycling to protect the environment and researching the safety records of cars before we buy them, we also believe in protecting our loved ones by having life insurance. The study showed that 70 percent say that having life insurance is part of preparing for their financial future.
Clients are confused about how to buy insurance. In fact, 52% believe that in the future they will be able to purchase life insurance on the public health exchange. The new insurance exchanges will not be offering life insurance and the fact is that there are two ways to purchase life insurance – through your employer, or directly through an insurance carrier or independent agent.
Life insurance has changed throughout the years and 10% even thought that they might receive discounts on electronics and cell phone minutes. Cell phone minutes is probably a stretch but some policies do offer services that people don’t normally think of when they buy life insurance such as face-to-face counseling, legal and financial consultations and identify theft resolution services.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sep 03, 2013 (BUSINESS WIRE) — When it comes to protecting ourselves, we Americans believe in doing the right thing. We support recycling to protect the environment and researching the safety records of our cars before we purchase them. And we believe in protecting our loved ones by having life insurance. In fact, according to a new WellPoint survey, a little more than 70 percent say that having life insurance is part of preparing for their financial future.
Yet, in the face of significant recent media attention to Americans’ lack of future financial security, WellPoint’s new survey finds that consumers are confused about how to purchase life insurance, with many mistakenly believing that, in the future, they can purchase it on the public health exchanges.
“The new health insurance exchanges will not be offering life insurance – despite the fact that more than half of the people we surveyed (52 percent) believe this to be the case,” said Bill Smith, president of WellPoint’s Disability and Life businesses. “There are two ways you can purchase coverage — through your employer, or directly through an insurance carrier or independent agent.”
Exactly what life insurance offers was also a source of confusion among those surveyed. While more than half (58 percent) understood that life insurance covers programs to help beneficiaries, some thought they might receive discounts on electronics and cell phone minutes (10 percent).
“Life insurance coverage has changed throughout the years, so we’re definitely not talking about your grandfather’s life insurance,” said Smith. “However, while cell phone minutes may be a stretch, we do offer services that people don’t normally think of when they think about life insurance; services such as face-to-face counseling, legal and financial consultations, and identity theft resolution services.”
Nearly half (47 percent) of all survey respondents admitted to living from paycheck to paycheck, again underscoring the need for people to think about their future planning. These numbers mark a dramatic increase from last year’s survey when just 32 percent indicated this to be the case.
“The good news is that people certainly value life insurance,” said Smith. “With September serving as Life Insurance Awareness Month, this is a perfect time for Americans to take action and prepare for their financial future by enrolling in life insurance.”
This report presents the findings of a telephone survey conducted among two national probability samples, which, when combined, consists of 1,013 adults, 504 men and 509 women 18 years of age and older, living in the continental United States. Interviewing for this CARAVAN(R) Survey was completed on April 18-21, 2013. 663 interviews were from the landline sample and 350 interviews from the cell phone sample.
The margin of error for the total sample is ±3.0 percent. This means that if we were to replicate the study, we would expect to get the same results within 3.0 percentage points.
Surveys are conducted in various ways and most of these ways do not get us anything in return but instead end up wasting our time. Hence one of the best ways of making money from home are by filling out online surveys as there are many websites which are ready to pay you if you match their criteria and fill out their survey form.
About WellPoint, Inc.
At WellPoint, we believe there is an important connection between our members’ health and well-being–and the value we bring our customers and shareholders. So each day we work to improve the health of our members and their communities. And, we can make a real difference since we have nearly 36 million people in our affiliated health plans, and nearly 68 million people served through our subsidiaries. As an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, WellPoint serves members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; and as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as the Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in 10 New York City metropolitan and surrounding counties and as the Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin. In a majority of these service areas, WellPoint’s plans do business as Anthem Blue Cross, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Empire Blue Cross (in the New York service areas). We also serve customers in several additional states through our Amerigroup subsidiary and in certain markets through our CareMore subsidiary. Our 1-800 CONTACTS, Inc. subsidiary offers customers online sales of contact lenses, eyeglasses and other ocular products. Additional information about WellPoint is available at www.wellpoint.com.
SOURCE: WellPoint, Inc.
Nearly 47 percent of people surveyed admitted to living from paycheck to paycheck but they do think about their future planning. The good news is that people certainly value life insurance and since this is Life Insurance Awareness Month this is the perfect time for Americans to take action and prepare for their financial future.