Disturbing statistics

While you're in good health it's easy to think that you'll always be in good health. But in reality the likelihood of suffering a disability or a disease like cancer or heart disease is much higher than you might think.

You might be sick of hearing us talk about the importance of personal insurances in the Hudson Report and in your conversations with your Financial Adviser, but there are strong reasons why we stress this area to our members, as the following statistics illustrate.

Read through these statistics and then read them again...as many times as it takes for them to really sink in! Some of these figures may shock you, which is why we wanted to bring them to your attention. So please, read on...

• One in six men and one in four women will suffer a disability between the ages of 35 and 65 that will cause them to miss work for six months or more.
  Source: Institute of Actuaries, Table IAD 89-93, White collar males and females

• In the year 2006 alone, almost half a million people (4% of workers) were injured at work. Of those injured, only 4% claimed from a privately owned Income Protection policy.
  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Social Trends 2008 - Health - Risk

• On average each hour in Australia, 3 people die from cancer and 5 people die from heart disease.
  Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Causes of Death 2008

• More than 24 % of male deaths and 16% of female deaths were in those aged 25 to 64.
  Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), Mortality, FAQs, 2008

• For a 45-year-old, the risk of having heart disease at some time in future life is 1 in 2 for males and 1 in 3 for females.
  Source: AIHW, Chronic diseases and associated factors in Australia, 2008

• In 2008, nearly 6,900 people aged 45 and over had a disability due to a heart attack in Australia.
  Source: AIHW, Chronic diseases and associated factors in Australia, 2008

• On average, 108 people have a stroke every day.
  Source: AIHW, Chronic diseases and associated factors in Australia, 2008

• For a 45-year-old, the risk of having a stroke before age 80 is 1 in 4 for men and 1 in 5 for women.
  Source: AIHW, Heart, stroke and vascular diseases - Australian facts 2008

• Every day, around 90 Australians die from coronary heart disease.
  Source: AIHW, Heart, stroke and vascular diseases - Australian facts 2008

• Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in adults.
  Source: AIHW, Heart, stroke and vascular diseases - Australian facts 2008

• Each day, approximately 37 males are diagnosed with prostate cancer.
  Source: AIHW, & Australasian Association of Cancer Registries (AACR) 2008

Hudson's Personal Insurance Specialist, Peter Dale, is here for all members to help you ensure that your family, your lifestyle and your assets are protected in the event that you should suffer the misfortune of becoming one of these statistics yourself.

Contact our Insurance Specialist Peter Dale for more information today!