About Permanent Disability

Permanent disability may put a strain on the disabled and their family. The handicapped may have special needs such as a caretaker. Some of those who have a permanent disability are born with the condition, while others acquire a handicap over the course of a lifetime. While insurance companies define the different types of disabilities, they agree that not all disabilities are created equal.

Identification

• A permanent disability is the loss of one or more body parts or functions and expected to last for the person's lifetime. In contrast to other types of disability, a permanent disability is non-fatal but expected to remain the same or worsen over the remainder of a person's lifetime.

Misconceptions

• Some of those who have a permanent disability may have a chance to revive or regain some functions with new technology or medicine advances. However, those who receive these technologies or advances do not always benefit from them and sometimes result in additional malfunctions or medical problems.

Effects

• The effects are lasting to a disabled person and their family. The costs of health care limit the family's ability to pay for services. Those who rely on extra help from federal or state funds often receive low-quality health care, and there are not many health care providers willing to accept government funds.

Types

• Every part of the body or function of the body has the ability to malfunction, and those with irreversible malfunctions are permanently disabled.

Considerations

• A permanent disability often prevents a person's ability to acquire gainful employment. Another kind of permanent disability is temporary total disability, which is a loss of use or reduced use of a body part or function, but the person can still acquire gainful employment at some point in their lifetime, even if it means another line of work.

Function

• Insurance companies and the law use a cooperative terminology to distinguish dissimilar disabilities. These definitions help insurance companies to evaluate premiums, coverage and risks involved with each beneficiary, and the law uses those distinguished terms to uphold disability rights and coverage.

Prevention/Solution

• While we cannot prevent all disabilities, we can live a healthy lifestyle and use safeguards at work and play. Taking prenatal vitamins and following doctors orders may prevent birth defects and create a healthy environment for the baby to grow.