Insurance Disclosures

Last updated: August 14, 2026

About this website

What Is Living Benefits is an independent educational website and insurance services provider. We are not an insurance company. Insurance products are offered through licensed insurance agents and issued by insurance carriers following underwriting.

Carrier independence

This website is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or operated by National Life Group or any other insurance carrier mentioned on the Site. Carrier names, product names, and ratings are used for identification and educational purposes only. National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company and its affiliates.

About living benefits and accelerated benefit riders

Living benefits are typically provided through accelerated benefit riders (ABRs) attached to a life insurance policy. Riders are supplemental and are not standalone health, disability, or long-term care insurance.
Exercising a rider reduces the policy's death benefit and may reduce cash value. Payouts may be discounted based on life expectancy and condition severity, and a one-time administrative fee may apply.
Rider availability, qualifying-event definitions, waiting periods, and maximum acceleration amounts vary by insurer, product, issue age, and state, and may not be available in all states (New York in particular differs). The policy contract controls in all cases.
Payment of an accelerated benefit is subject to the insurer's review and approval of a qualifying event certified by a physician or licensed health care practitioner.
Chronic illness riders are not long-term care insurance and are not a substitute for long-term care insurance.

Tax and public benefits

Accelerated death benefits may be excludable from income under Internal Revenue Code Section 101(g) when requirements are met; chronic illness benefits are generally excludable only up to IRS per-diem limits, which adjust annually. Benefits may be taxable in some circumstances, and receipt of benefits may affect eligibility for means-tested public assistance programs such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Neither this website nor its operators provide tax or legal advice — consult a qualified tax advisor or attorney about your situation.

Ratings and statistics

Financial strength ratings (such as AM Best's A+ Superior) reflect the rating agency's opinion as of the date noted, apply to the issuing company's claims-paying ability — not to the performance of any product — and are subject to change. Statistics cited across the Site come from publicly available sources (such as the CDC, the National Cancer Institute, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) as of their publication dates.

Hypothetical examples

Stories, examples, and dollar figures on this Site are hypothetical illustrations created for education. They do not depict real policyholders, do not represent any specific product, and are not a promise of future benefits.