Chronic Illness Rider
Long-term care
without sacrificing
your independence.
When a chronic condition makes daily life difficult, your policy can help cover the support your family needs — on your terms, not the insurance company's.
How Benefits Help
Support that keeps life moving forward.
Whether it's home care, household bills, or caregiver relief — the benefit is yours to use however your situation demands.
In-Home Care
Cover professional caregiving services so your family isn't stretched trying to do everything alone.
Accessibility Modifications
Fund ramps, grab bars, or other home modifications that allow you to stay independent longer.
Monthly Household Bills
Keep up with mortgage, utilities, and everyday expenses during a period when income may be reduced.
Caregiver & Respite Support
Give family caregivers the financial relief to take breaks, reducing burnout for the whole household.
The Real Impact
Long-term care is expensive — and exhausting.
A chronic illness affects more than the person diagnosed.
Caregiving burden
Family caregivers often reduce their own work hours.
Home care costs
Professional in-home care can run $4,000–$6,000 per month.
Independence requires resources
Modifications, transport, and equipment costs add up fast.
How Qualification Works
It's about independence, not diagnosis.
If you're unable to perform 2 of these 6 daily activities independently for 90 or more consecutive days, you may qualify — regardless of your specific diagnosis.
Severe Cognitive Impairment
Conditions like Alzheimer's that require substantial supervision can qualify independently — no ADL assessment needed.
Qualification depends on a licensed physician's certification. Requirements may vary by state and carrier.
The Claim Process
Simpler than
you might expect.
File your claim
Submit the claim form with your physician's certification and HIPAA authorization.
Carrier reviews
The carrier reviews your documentation, typically within 5 business days.
Benefit confirmed
The benefit amount is calculated and confirmed based on your policy terms.
Paid to you
Funds arrive by check or EFT — yours to use however you need.
File your claim
Submit the claim form with your physician's certification and HIPAA authorization.
Carrier reviews
The carrier reviews your documentation, typically within 5 business days.
Benefit confirmed
The benefit amount is calculated and confirmed based on your policy terms.
Paid to you
Funds arrive by check or EFT — yours to use however you need.
The Long-Term Cost Reality
Chronic illness is the leading driver of long-term financial hardship for American families.
A chronic diagnosis — whether diabetes, Parkinson's, MS, or severe arthritis — rarely arrives with a clear financial exit. Unlike an acute illness with a defined treatment arc, chronic conditions often require ongoing support for years or decades. The financial burden accumulates in ways that standard health insurance and employer benefits are not designed to address.
53M
Americans provide unpaid care to an adult with a disability or illness
AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2024
$5,000/mo
Average cost of professional in-home care assistance (8 hrs/day)
Genworth Cost of Care Survey, 2023
68%
Of family caregivers report significant financial strain from caregiving responsibilities
AARP Public Policy Institute
When a chronic illness prevents someone from independently performing two or more activities of daily living — bathing, dressing, eating, transferring, toileting, or continence — for at least 90 consecutive days, the chronic illness rider allows you to access a portion of your life insurance death benefit as cash. This is distinct from long-term care insurance, which requires documented receipts for qualified care expenses. With an accelerated death benefit rider, funds are paid directly to you as the policyholder, without restrictions on how they are used. Families use the benefit to hire professional caregivers, make home accessibility modifications, replace a caregiver's lost wages when a spouse reduces work hours, or simply maintain household expenses during a period of reduced income. Severe cognitive impairment — including Alzheimer's disease and advanced dementia — can qualify independently, without the ADL failure test, when a physician certifies that supervision is required to protect the person's health and safety.
A chronic illness rider is an accelerated death benefit attached to your term life policy. If you're diagnosed with a condition that prevents you from performing 2 or more daily activities independently — for at least 90 consecutive days — you may access a portion of your death benefit while still alive.
The six ADLs are: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring (moving to/from bed or wheelchair), continence, and eating. These are standard measures used across the insurance industry to assess functional independence.
Yes. Unlike the critical and terminal illness riders, the chronic illness benefit often allows you to choose between a one-time lump sum or equal installment payments over a requested period. The best option depends on your specific needs.
Severe cognitive impairment — such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia that requires substantial supervision to protect against health and safety hazards — can qualify independently, without needing to fail 2 of the 6 ADLs.
No. This is an Accelerated Death Benefit rider, not a long-term care insurance policy. The funds you receive come from your life insurance death benefit and are unrestricted — you can use them however you choose. LTC insurance is a separate, standalone product.
Living Benefits
Explore all three types of coverage
Critical Illness
Sudden diagnosis. Lump-sum payout.
Chronic Illness
Long-term support. Independence maintained.
Terminal Illness
More time together. Less financial stress.
Ready to protect
your family —
and yourself?
Ready to protect your family —
and yourself?
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