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It’s always very gratifying to get insurance coverage for people who have been told they can’t qualify.

The Financial Post recently published this article by Garry Marr that described my success in getting life insurance for cancer survivors.

You may recall this article from my blog posted in November 2012 – “Insurance for the Uninsurable”.

After reading the Post article, a very anxious husband called us last  week to seek help for his wife and family.

She is a high-octane lawyer and marathon runner and the principal breadwinner.

The family lives in a beautiful home, kids attend private school, and life is plush with a high six-figure salary.

The mid-sized company she joined more than 20 years ago as in-house lawyer became an international player.

It was recently acquired by a multinational that decided her services were no longer required.

She accepted their generous exit package, spent the summer at their vacation home in Nova Scotia and recently started a new gig with a merchant bank.

It turns out that she had NO insurance at all aside from her employee benefits. None.

She left the old job with a generous financial parachute but with zero insurance.

The benefits available in her new job don’t come close to replacing what she had.

Now don’t get me wrong - I am a huge believer in employee benefits and the importance of group plans.

Our group plan experts currently help more than 1,500 companies across Canada, managing combined annual premiums in excess of $250 million.

(We can help your company too - please contact us today for your no-obligation consultation.)

Despite all of that, I tell everyone: do NOT rely solely on your employee benefits and always get your own insurance.

Do you remember Eaton’s or Nortel?  Benefit plans are not forever - you can’t even assume your employer will be around forever.

People change jobs, benefits change, plan designs get modified, limits reduced, etc.

In this particular case, her health suffered a downturn five years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She survived the treatments - a lumpectomy and chemotherapy - and quickly bounced back to work, running, etc.

Trouble is, with her personal health history, getting insurance now is a challenge and she has been told to expect difficulties getting some.  G-d willing I will be successful at getting her coverage but it will come at a significant increased cost.

My new clients learned the hard way to NOT have all their family benefits through their employer.

It continues to amaze me that so many people who enjoy group coverage - including high-income earners - don’t understand the coverage they have and don’t arrange for their own insurance coverage.

Always better to take care of these things “while the sun is shining”.

Please be in touch if I can be of service to you and your family.

Thanks in advance

Stay healthy