04 Oct A Welcomed Benefit of Life Insurance
Jim and Judy Stacherski were high school sweethearts, and while a tour of duty during the Vietman War separated them and sent them on different paths, it couldn’t keep them apart. Thirty years later, they reconnected and married. They were thrilled to be together again, and loved to spend time prospecting for gold on their mining claim.
Life, however, intervened again. Judy learned that the breast cancer she thought she had beaten had returned and spread to her bones, which doctors said was terminal.
Insurance professional Melissa Mlasko met with the couple to help them with an immediate task at hand. They needed to transition to Medicare from the health insurance coverage they had through Judy’s work, which was due to end in several months when she retired. That’s when Melissa learned about Judy’s condition. As she explored the couple’s entire financial picture, it occurred to her that she might be able to offer additional help. She researched the group life insurance policy that Judy had through work and found that her coverage included an accelerated death benefit rider.
Given that her diagnosis was terminal, the rider allowed Judy to access 90 percent of her policy’s death benefit while she and Jim still had time together. That gave the couple incredible peace of mind, knowing that their last days together would be free of financial worries. Judy was also grateful that her husband would be well cared for financially, as the life insurance proceeds could supplement his retirement income.
“Without the life insurance, I would have had to sell our home,” says Jim. “There would have been no way to do it on my own financially. Life insurance is so important, because you never know when something is going to happen.”
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A Welcomed Benefit – Video Transcription
Jim Stacherski: Judy and I were childhood sweethearts. When I went in the army, I told her that I could be going to Vietnam so I don’t really want her worrying. And when I got out, she was already married. Then, apparently, she got divorced and I was divorced. And 30 years later she called me up and came to see me and 30 days later we were married. Yeah, that was meant to be.
We had been together for 8 years. She had a mammogram and it showed a tumor. She got breast cancer.
Marcia Emerson (Family Friend): She had the double mastectomy and she was clear for a while of the cancer. And then it came back.
Melissa Mlasko (Insurance Advisor): When Judy came to me, she knew she didn’t have very long to live. They were transitioning from Judy’s employer plan and then going on to Medicare.
Jim: Judy had life insurance through a group policy at work. So, Melissa said, ‘Well, does it have an accelerated death benefit.?’
Melissa: The accelerated death benefit rider is very important because a person is able then to obtain the money prior to passing away.
Jim: If Melissa hadn’t found that I would’ve had to sell our house immediately. So having that made it more comfortable so we were able to spend a lot of time together.
The doctor gave her two months to live. She asked God for eight years. That’s what she got, eight years.
Marcia: Judy died on December 7, 2013. I know it was so hard on Jim. And I know he felt like a part of his life had just been cut away from him.
Jim: Judy’s loss is hard enough let alone dealing with financial problems. And a life insurance just made it a whole lot easier.
Marcia: If he didn’t have that supplemental income that he was able to have from it, he would’ve had to sell their house and to move. So it’s made it possible for Jim to stay in the home and continue to have a place where he has these wonderful memories with Judy and do the gold mining that he loves so much. She’s still blessing Jim even though she’s not here physically.