Your fate lies behind these walls of text. This, my friends, is what it’s like to choose your health insurance. And your choices are hidden in a page that’s black with small print, written in a language you don’t understand, and littered with numbers that frighten you. So let’s demystify your SBC (summary of benefits and coverage) so you can make good decisions.

Life and AD&D is one of the last benefits that small businesses and startups add to their offerings. It’s a real bummer to talk about. And unlike short-term disability, the people who need it don’t complain if you don’t have it. But here are some reasons you should care about life and AD&D insurance.

Did you know that your spouse needs to sign off if you designate anyone else as your life insurance beneficiary? Because if you croak, life insurance doesn’t want to get in the middle of your family drama. 

Since employer group plans need to offer the same coverage to everyone, employer-sponsored plans are sometimes the only way that people with serious or chronic health conditions can get any disability or life insurance at all.