I would rather (not) go blind
June 10, 2011 1:46 PM   Subscribe

How can I insure myself against going blind?

I was born with a cataract and dislocated lens in my right eye, and after many operations, I can't see with that eye. But there is no medical reason for me to lose the 20/20 vision in my left eye.

I'm the sole breadwinner for my family and I would like to stop worrying about what would happen if I went blind in the only eye I can see with.

I'm American but live in the UK so I have great healthcare, but I want to buy extra insurance. I've looked up disability insurance but I can't find anything that would protect me and my family from loss of earnings caused by my going blind.

Any suggestions?
posted by mgrrl to Work & Money (9 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
You want Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance. Blindness isn't technically dismemberment, but it is typically covered by that sort of plan.
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:50 PM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


Mod note: The question is about insurance, not eyecare - thanks!
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 2:16 PM on June 10, 2011


I think what you're looking for is called 'Critical Injury Cover' in the UK. It should also cover permanent disability as a consequence of illness or injury also but you may want to get personalised advice - you wouldn't want to be paying the premiums and then get stiffed because you were half blind to begin with.
posted by missmagenta at 2:53 PM on June 10, 2011


Take a look here. I haven't read the fine print, but all of these plans seem to cover loss of earnings due to accident or sickness leading to unemployment.
posted by lollusc at 6:05 PM on June 10, 2011


I'm not sure that AD&D is what you want. Though policies do cover blindness, they only cover injury caused by an accident. If you're looking to insure yourself against accidental and non-accidental blindness, you need something other than, or in addition to, an AD&D policy.
posted by Wet Hen at 11:22 AM on June 11, 2011


Lloyd's of London is famous for underwriting unique insurance deals, perhaps if you give them a call they could either help you or point to someplace that could?
posted by Blasdelb at 11:56 AM on June 11, 2011


Best answer: This sounds like income protection insurance.
posted by A Thousand Baited Hooks at 6:15 AM on June 13, 2011


Response by poster: Thanks - I haven't purchased it yet, but I feel better just knowing what it's called!
posted by mgrrl at 8:55 AM on June 16, 2011


Response by poster: Follow up - turns out it's also called permanent health insurance in the UK, and I already have it through my employer! I might've not kept it if not for your answers - thank you!
posted by mgrrl at 11:31 AM on July 12, 2011


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