Valuing your Valentine: Which body part of your lover would you insure?
February 8th, 2012
Lori Johnston
When it comes to insuring a spouse’s or partner’s body parts, Americans would go with the heart or the head.
A survey conducted on behalf of InsuranceQuotes.com by Harris Interactive indicates that cupid’s arrow strays far from lips and smiles, butts, breasts, legs and other body parts that some celebrities have insured for millions of dollars. Among those in relationships, Americans say they would insure a spouse’s or partner’s brain (23 percent) or heart (22 percent) when asked to choose only one body part. The survey was conducted in January 2012 among 2,625 U.S. adults.
The brain and heart “are key to life and our wish to sustain our relationships and keep our loved ones alive and with us,” says Diana Kirschner, author of “Sealing the Deal: The Love Mentor’s Guide to Lasting Love.”
The survey asked: If you could insure only one body part of your spouse, significant other or partner, which of the following, if any, would you pick? Options included the top two vote-getters (brain, heart) as well as the eyes, chest, hands, legs, teeth, lips, rear end and hair.
Among people in relationships, these are other body parts that they say they would single out to insure:
• None — 23 percent.
• Eyes — 8 percent.
• Chest — 3 percent.
• Hands — 3 percent.
• Legs — 3 percent.
• Teeth — 2 percent.
• Lips — 2 percent.
• Rear end — 2 percent.
• Hair — 1 percent.
More than skin deep
The survey response makes it clear that friendship and companionship mean the most in many relationships, Kirschner says.
“It’s not just superficial. It’s not just all about sex,” Kirschner says. “It’s about much more than sex and much more than beauty or appearance.”
Among U.S. adults in a relationship, the choice of the brain shows how Americans value someone’s personality and intellect, says Lou Manza, professor of psychology at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania.
“The heart is maybe more of a romantic notion,” Manza says. “In a physical sense, the heart keeps you alive so you want that significant other around.”
People fall in love with someone’s intellect and personality — all of which, of course, are related to the brain. “If we can protect that against all else, then we really would,” Manza says.
If you ask someone living with an Alzheimer’s patient if they could go back in time and protect that person’s brain, you would get a resounding “yes,” Kirschner says.
There’s a vested interest in the brain, because if it deteriorates, that can affect intellect and personality, and can trigger changes in a relationship. At the same time, people tend to develop wisdom as they age.
“Even though your outside might be changing and it appears ‘old,’ and maybe taking a turn for the worse for some people, if you’ve maintained your intellectual health, you know a lot more when you’re older,” Kirschner says.
Object of desire
Stars insure their most attractive assets for millions of dollars. For example, model and TV host Heidi Klum’s legs have been insured for $ 2 million, and reality TV star and Playboy playmate Holly Madison told People magazine that she insured her breasts for $ 1 million.
Even musicians and athletes have their body parts insured. For instance, the long locks of Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu have been insured by Head & Shoulders (the shampoo brand he endorses) for $ 1 million.
In terms of coverage of body parts, people can insure themselves against accidents and injuries, which could threaten their careers and income. Accident and health insurance covers a policyholder against injury to the entire body, but the policyholder may want to concentrate on a particular body part, says Matt Drage, a spokesman for Lloyd’s, a major insurer of body parts.
When you’re at a party or on a first date, a person’s eyes, lips, butt or breasts can be the initial attraction. But as people in relationships age and their looks change, they must be willing to let certain insurable features slide, Kirschner says.
“If the 60-year-olds were saying, ‘I would ensure my spouse’s behind,’ it would make you wonder a little bit,” she says.
Survey methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of InsuranceQuotes.com from Jan. 9-11, 2012, among 2,625 adults age 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and, therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact John Egan at john.egan@insurancequotes.com.
Craig Guillot
So you’re going to be a parent. It’s a time to celebrate, but also time to prepare for the financial responsibilities that you’ll soon confront. Before the baby even arrives, you’ll have to think about your finances and about protecting your child’s future with the right insurance.
From health insurance for you and your child to life insurance and disability insurance for the breadwinners in your family, you’ve got many insurance options to consider when a child is on the way.
Health insurance
Mari Adam, a financial adviser with Adam Financial Associates Inc. in Boca Raton, Fla., says that while most employer-provided group health insurance programs cover pregnancy, many individual plans have exclusions. It’s important for parents-to-be to know what’s covered and what isn’t.
If your health insurance plan has a deductible, find out what you’ll be financially responsible for on delivery day. Some plans may have deductibles as low as $ 1,000 for a trouble-free delivery, while others may be as high as $ 3,000.
“It’s an exciting time in your life, but there is a lot going on and you have to make some important decisions,” Adam says. “Having the right (health) insurance in place beforehand can make a big impact.”
Once your bundle of joy has arrived, you’ll usually have 30 days to notify your insurance company and officially add your child to your policy. Until then, he or she will be covered automatically.
Short-term disability insurance
Another important type of insurance for parents-to-be is short-term disability insurance, which covers a mother’s maternity leave. Jason Gutcheon, a partner at Professional Business Insurers in West Hartford, Conn., says this type of policy must be in effect before the mother becomes pregnant; sometimes there’s a waiting period before short-term disability insurance will cover a pregnancy.
When a mother delivers and takes maternity leave, she’ll be able to collect short-term disability benefits for a certain number of months. A typical policy will pay roughly two-thirds of her weekly income, up to $ 500 or $ 1,000 a week, depending on the policy.
Long-term disability insurance
While short-term disability insurance is offered at an affordable price through most employers, it may not be practical for individual policyholders. The breadwinner of the family also should consider a long-term disability policy. While these policies often are unaffordable on their own, Gutcheon says many people can obtain coverage through their employers.
With a long-term disability policy, the insurer typically will pay 60 percent of the mother’s earnings — as much as $ 5,000 a month.
If your employer doesn’t offer this type of insurance, Gutcheon recommends asking the employer to put a plan together. “You can usually get 10 people together and get a group plan through your employer,” he says.
Life insurance
Many parents don’t want to think about the possibility of not being around to provide for their children. Furthermore, many parents in their 20s and 30s don’t even think about life insurance. However, the best time to buy life insurance is when you’re in that age range, Adam says.
The policy should cover at least seven times your income, and it should be enough to cover the cost of a mortgage, college tuition for your child, and day-to-day living expenses for the child and your spouse or partner. A parent who earns $ 50,000 a year, for example, should consider a $ 500,000 policy.
In the past, companies recommended 20-year term life insurance policies, but because kids nowadays are dependent on their parents for a longer period, many parents are being advised to get 30-year term life insurance policies.
Gutcheon recommends life insurance not only for the breadwinner, but for both parents. If something should happen to a parent who doesn’t work outside the home, the family still would have to shoulder burial costs and the expenses of getting back on track.
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