Breeze Insurance Review

Breeze is the easiest way to get disability insurance online. No doctors visits, fully online and coverage in as little as 15 minutes. Because buying insurance should be simple.

Pros & Cons

There are lots of financial products to consider when thinking about protecting your family - but disability insurance should be on top of your list.

Sure, you may have already gotten it through your employer, but for those who are self-employed or earn significant income, getting a disability insurance policy can be crucial.

Just like life insurance, getting a disability insurance policy is easier than ever using Breeze — you can do it online, using much of the same technology other insurance carriers.

 If you’re not sure whether Breeze is for you, keep reading - because we’ll go more in depth as to what the company can do for you, approximate costs and whether you even need a disability insurance policy.

About Breeze

Although Breeze is a new insurance company (founded in 2019), it’s currently one of the only disability insurance companies where you can apply completely online for all 50 states, except New York. 

The company offers long-term disability insurance which is underwritten by Assurity Life Insurance. The Assurity Life Insurance company has been around for 130 years — offering disability and life insurance policies since 1890. 

Since everything is underwritten by Assurity Life, you can be confident Breeze is a company you can trust.  It’s rated by A.M Best as Excellent and terms range from one year to when the policyholder is 67 years old.

Features 

Buying long-term insurance for individuals is done directly through Breeze plus Assurity, its underwriter.  You can complete the application process all online in as little as 15 minutes.

Breeze disability insurance underwriting is totally automated through AI technology which means that most people who apply won’t need to go through a medical exam.

So far, it’s the only company that offers this technology.  You can get a personalized quote with different coverage options if you’re at least 18 years old.

For example, you can change your coverage — anywhere from one year up to you’re 67 years old — or your elimination period (how long you have to wait until benefits kick in).

This period can be either 30, 60, 90 or 180 days.  Applicants can choose payout amounts ranging from $500 to $20,000 per month and plans start as low as $9 per month. 

Plus, in many cases Breeze doesn’t require to prove your income if you’re self-employed.  Breeze also offers few optional paid riders (for an additional cost) you can add in order to enhance your coverage:

• Own-occupation - this means you’ll still be covered even if you’re disabled and can’t work in your current occupation even if you can work in other ones.
• Automatic benefit increase - The automatic benefit increase function will increase your base monthly benefit by a certain percentage of the original one starting after the first year any benefits have been paid out.
• Guaranteed insurability - Purchase additional insurance without underwriting.
• Supplemental DI rider - You’ll still receive benefits from Breeze even if you qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
• Critical illness benefit - Covers you in the event you’re diagnosed with a critical illness like cancer.
• Non-cancellable - Breeze can’t cancel or increase the premium on your policy as long as you’re still paying your premiums.
• Catastrophic disability benefit - Receive additional income so you can use the cash to pay for items that are typically not covered by your health insurance. 

Here are a few other benefits you can receive with Breeze:

• Presumptive disability - Certain disabilities that are considered serious impairments that the policyholder qualify as being disabled.
• Partial disability - Also called a residual disability, you’ll be covered even if you can only work in a limited capacity.
• Survivor benefit - Your surviving spouse or children may be able to still receive a pay out.
• Home modification - Funds to modify your home to increase your mobility like a wheelchair ramp.
• Organ donor benefit - Receive disability benefits after receiving an organ transplant. 
• Vocational rehab - You may qualify for things like job training and placement.

What is Disability Insurance?

Disability insurance is there to replace lost income you may experience because of an illness or injury that prevents you from being able to work. 

There can be different coverage levels and riders, but in general if your claim is approved you’ll be paid out each month. 

 Coverage for disability insurance can differ in terms and how much of your current income it’ll cover — it can be available for as little as a year, up to age 65 or 67 (the typical retirement age).

The payout amount will depend on whether you’ve elected to replace all or part of your income — your premium will cost more the more coverage you want, plus other factors like your age and occupation.

As for Breeze, here are a few occupations the company covers (there are more):

• Self-employed individuals
• Accountants
• Attorneys
• Dentists
• Contractors
• Entrepreneurs
• Executives
• Nurses
• Physicians
• Software engineers

Why Should I Get Disability Insurance?

Disability insurance isn’t for everyone but given the right circumstance sit can help protect you and your family in case you’re not able to work anymore.

For example, if you’re the breadwinner or your family depends on your income, it’s probably a good idea to have a policy so you’re not left scrambling if something does happen, especially if you are a high-income earner. 

Something else to consider is whether you’re a more dangerous profession, where the chances of you getting injured can be higher.

Whether that’s the case or not, consider whether insurance offered through your employer (if any) is enough. Or, whether you can draw on other sources of income instead of taking out a policy. 

Think carefully, because if you and your family can’t pay for the essentials like your mortgage, you could be at risk of losing your home.

Not to scare you, but it’s an opportunity to think carefully about whether a small investment each month will help you when you can’t work. 

If you decided to take out disability insurance, you’ll want to determine how much you’ll need.

Whenever you look at a policy, consider the following:

• What is the insurance policy’s definition of a disability?
• How much will you need to replace your current income?
• Can you qualify for Social Security disability insurance?
• What if you can’t work at your current occupation but have the ability to do so in another field or type of job?

Understanding your needs is an important step before applying for a policy with companies like Breeze.

How Much Does Disability Insurance Cost?

Your individual disability insurance policy premium will depend on a number of factors, including you age, gender, occupation and any additional riders you want. 

One of the major factors that will influence your premium is your occupation. It’s safe to assume that the more dangerous or labor-intensive your job, the more you’ll have to pay each month.

For example, let’s say you’re a 35 year old male working as a freelance writer.  This isn't considered a hazardous occupation compared to someone who works as a construction working for office buildings.

In this case, the construction worker will probably pay a higher monthly premium.  If you’re a female, you’ll most likely pay more than a male.

Using the same conditions above, a female construction worker will may a higher monthly premium than her male counterpart.

As for why policies are more expensive for women, that’s because disabilities for females tend to happen more often and last longer compared to men.

Underwriters take this into consideration.  Age also affects your monthly premiums. The older you are, the more your policy will cost because the likelihood of you getting injured are higher.

Of course, other factors like your health and lifestyle habits affect how much you’ll pay.  After going through part of the application process, here are some sample monthly premium prices to give you an idea of what you could pay:

How to Get Started with Breeze

You can sign up for Breeze and get long-term disability coverage in as little as 15 minutes.  To do so, simply head over to their online application form and fill out required personal information.

This can include your gender, birthday, income, occupation, whether you use nicotine and ZIP code. 

On the next screen, Breeze will show you a few quotes that offer you personalized coverage options.

It gives you recommendations on the benefit and elimination period, plus different monthly payout amounts and the cost of your premium.

If none of these options look good to you, you can click on the blue button at the bottom of the screen and to personalize your coverage — here’s where you can choose additional riders. 

If you’re unsure of any of the riders or other terms, contact Breeze to speak with a licensed insurance agent before proceeding.  An important factor to consider is own occupation.

Breeze defaults to own occupation for the first two years but you can increase that amount, though your monthly premium can increase. 

Once you choose a policy you like, then you can move onto the next step where you’ll have to answer a detailed questionnaire, so Breeze can learn more about you to start the underwriting process.

Some of these questions include your health and lifestyle habits.  At this stage, you’ll be presented with an offer.  Take some time to look through the policy to see if it’s what you want.

In some cases, you may need to complete a medical exam to get coverage.  Here are some scenarios in which you’ll need to do so:

• You want coverage greater than $4,000 a month and you’re between 18 and 50 years old
• You want coverage greater than $2,000 per month and you’re between 51 and 55 years old
• You want coverage greater than $1,000 and you’re between 56 and 60 years old

When you’re finally approved, pay for your first month’s premium and off you go.

Should You Get Disability Insurance with Breeze?

The answer depends on whether you want to get a disability insurance in the first place.  If you're not sure, reading the company's guides can be helpful.

They offer great info disability insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and even short term life insurance.  If you do, then Breeze is a great place to start as you’ll be able to get a quote quickly to see what you might need to pay.

It also let's you see what types of riders you want to get to further protect your income.

Considering applying for any type of insurance can be complex, so it’s worth at least getting a quote since you can do it all online — you don’t have to commit to anything at this point.

In any case, you can call Breeze to speak to a licensed insurance agent to see whether you’re getting the right type of coverage.