Breeze Insurance is an up-and-coming tech-focused insurance agency specializing in making disability and critical illness insurance easily accessible.
People often overlook these two forms of insurance, which can provide financial protection after being diagnosed with a critical illness or suffering from a long-term disability that would keep you from working.
Over 100 million Americans lack coverage for disabilities and critical illnesses. Yet, a disability or critical illness can severely impact your financial situation. You may need to stop working or face high medical bills, especially if you lack adequate health insurance.
Breeze Insurance has created a simple way to obtain affordable coverage to protect you from the unexpected. For example, if you become disabled or diagnosed with a critical illness, you can receive a monthly stream of income or lump-sum payments to use however you see fit.
Many life insurance companies have embraced modern technology to make applying for life insurance quick and easy. However, Breeze Insurance is the first insurtech (insurance and technology) company to modernize the way people can shop and apply for disability and critical illness insurance in today’s market.
So, is a Breeze disability or critical illness insurance a suitable option for you?
This is where we are here to help. If time off of work due to an illness or injury would keep you from earning an income to support your family, keep reading to learn all about Breeze’s available policies, eligibility requirements, policy riders, etc.
Breeze Long-Term Disability
Pays you direct monthly benefits in as little as 30 days that can last up to retirement age if you become too sick or hurt to work. Monthly benefits as high as $20,000.
Breeze Critical Illness
Pays you a direct lump-sum benefit up to $75,000 if you are diagnosed with cancer, heart attack, stroke, or another covered critical illness.
Breeze Insurance Company
Breeze officially launched online in 2019. Their main headquarters is based out of Omaha, Nebraska. The company aims to provide a fully streamlined, digital-only solution for obtaining disability and critical illness insurance.
The application process is completed entirely online. You can get a quote in just seconds and apply for coverage in a few minutes. The company states that the average user will go from quote to completing the entire application in 15 minutes or less.
Breeze is a software startup backed by several large companies, including Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank. They also completed a Series A funding round in 2021, raising $10 million in capital to expand its services. It was the largest first round of funding for a Nebraska-based software company.
They have been featured in major publications such as Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, Money, Forbes, and TechCrunch.
Breeze Partnership with Assurity
Breeze is an insurance broker that sells insurance through its online quote and application platform. It is Assurity that underwrites and issues the actual disability and critical illness policies sold through Breeze’s online website.
Assurity is a trusted insurance company with over 130 years of experience. Assurity started as the Modern Woodmen Accident Association outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. The company was founded in 1890 and merged with two other major Nebraska-based insurance companies to form Assurity in 2005.
When choosing an insurance policy, you should look at the company’s financial ratings. Companies with high ratings are less likely to default on their financial obligations, such as paying claims on insurance policies.
Assurity has an A- (Excellent) rating from AM Best Company. The “Excellent” rating is the 4th highest rating out of 15 ratings from AM Best.
Assurity is a large company with over $23 billion in total life insurance policies currently in force. The company has paid over $145 million in total benefits to its customers, which means you are in good hands with Assurity.
Breeze Partnership with Principal Financial Group
Announced for 2022, Breeze will begin offering short-term disability insurance with policies being issued by Principal Financial Group.
The short-term disability insurance will pay a weekly benefit payment that can start as quick as 7-days, lasting as long as 6-months if you cannot work due to an illness, injury, or go on maternity leave.
Principal Financial Group has a long successful history within the insurance industry. They have high ratings from several independent rating organizations. AM Best has awarded the company an A+ rating of “Superior, ” the 2nd highest rating out of 15 ratings from AM Best.
Breeze Insurance Plans
Breeze currently offers two insurance plans. You can choose between long-term disability insurance and critical illness insurance. Depending on your age and benefit amount, you may not need to complete a medical exam.
These two insurance plans are designed to provide financial protection in a cash benefit to cover out-of-pocket expenses and pay bills if you have a disability or critical illness. However, the two plans also include different features.
Long-term disability insurance is designed to provide a monthly stream of income protection if you become disabled and unable to work. You can choose how much of a monthly benefit you will receive and how long you want the benefit will pay while you’re out of work.
Critical illness insurance is a form of supplement coverage for various forms of critical illness, such as cancer, heart attacks, and more. The plan covers 11 different illnesses and includes a lump-sum payment instead of monthly payments.
Here is a closer look at the issue ages, policy riders, and other features available for Breeze disability insurance and critical illness insurance.
Breeze Disability Insurance
Breeze disability insurance includes monthly benefits if you become diagnosed with a qualifying disability. This plan covers severe injuries and illnesses that keep you from working for an extended period.
According to the CDC, one in four adults has a disability that impacts their livelihoods. Yet, while over 60 million Americans suffer from disabilities, many people fail to consider the importance of disability insurance.
Long-term disability insurance is an excellent option for those with a family to support and anyone without existing disability coverage. It is a recommended form of insurance for lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects, freelancers, small business owners, and many other occupations.
Breeze pays a benefit for any diagnosis that qualifies as a disability. Some of the most common illnesses that are eligible as long-term disabilities include cancer, diabetes, heart attack, arthritis, and back pain.
These plans are issued and back by Assurity.
| Issue Ages | 18 through 60 years |
| Occupational Classes | Class 1A: Includes heavy manual labor or work occupations. Class 2A: Includes skilled and manual occupations in lighter industries, as well as most machine operators. Class 3A: Includes professional or office-type occupations with certain activities or hazards involving laboratory, technical, supervisory and service work. Class 4A: Includes professional or office-type occupations that are rarely exposed to hazards. |
| Maximum Issue Limits | 4A: $20,000 3A: $20,000 2A: $10,000 1A: $8,000 |
| Elimination Periods | 30, 60, 90, 180, and 365 days |
| Benefit Periods | 1, 2, 5 or 10 years; to-age-65 or to-age-67 |
| No Medical Exams | Age 18-50 up to $5,000 Age 51-55 up to $2,000 Age 56-60 up to $1,500 |
| Policy Riders | Automatic Benefit Increase Rider Guaranteed Insurability Rider Own Occupation Rider Residual Disability Benefit Rider Supplemental DI Rider |
| Renewability | Guaranteed renewable to age 65 or 67, conditionally renewable to age 75 |
Issue Ages
Breeze long-term disability insurance is available for 18 through 60 years old. Breeze uses your nearest birthday to determine your age. For example, if you’re turning 60 within the next six months, you are considered 60 years of age on the application.
Benefit Amounts
Monthly benefit amounts start as low as $500 up to a maximum of $20,000. The maximum amount of coverage you can get will depend on your occupation class and annual salary.
Breeze will determine your maximum monthly coverage amount based on your responses during the quoting process. Therefore, you do not need to try figuring out your maximum amount as that is all done for you.
Choosing a larger monthly benefit amount will increase your premiums and the potential need for a medical exam. Also, if you are not self-employed and are a W-2, you will not be required to verify your income for monthly benefit amounts under $4,000.
Benefit Period
The benefit period is the maximum time frame that you can continue receiving your monthly benefits. The benefits stop at the age of 65 or the end of the term that you choose, whichever comes first.
Depending on your age, you can choose a benefit period of 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years. For example, if you are 60 years old, you can choose a benefit period of 5 years or less. Choosing a longer benefit period allows you to continue collecting monthly payments for a longer period but increases your premiums.
Elimination Period
The elimination period is the number of days you must wait before you become eligible to receive monthly benefit payments from your policy. A shorter elimination period increases your premiums, while a longer elimination period decreases your premiums.
The available elimination periods include 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, 180 days, and 365 days for qualifying conditions. The average elimination period with most disability plans is 90 days.
Occupation Class
Breeze uses occupation classes to assess the risk of an applicant becoming disabled. Jobs with a greater risk of injuries and accidents include higher rates. The occupation classes include:
Class 1A: Work involving heavy manual labor or an increased risk of accidents. Examples include construction laborers, custodians, exterminators, roofers, and truck drivers.
Class 2A: Skilled and manual occupations in light industries. Examples include carpenters, chefs, electricians, farmers, landscapers, and mechanics.
Class 3A: Professional and office-type occupations. Examples include physical therapists, hospital staff, daycare workers, and graphic artists.
Class 4A: Professional and office-type occupations that are rarely exposed to hazards. Examples include accountants, architects, clinical nurses, pharmacists, and real estate agents.
Disability income typically covers 60% to 80% of lost income. The occupation class and additional income information help determine the optimal benefit amount. Here is the maximum benefit for each occupation class:
- Class 1A: $8,000
- Class 2A: $10,000
- Class 3A: $20,000
- Class 4A: $20,000
Keep in mind that these are the maximum monthly benefit amounts for each occupation class. When purchasing coverage, you are not required to choose the maximum monthly benefit amount. Instead, you may select a lesser amount which will reduce the cost of your coverage.
You do not need to verify your income for benefit amounts up to $4,000.
Policy Riders
Breeze offers three optional riders to customize your insurance plan:
- Automatic Benefit Increase Rider
- Guaranteed Insurability Rider
- Own Occupation Rider
- Residual Disability Benefit Rider
- Supplemental DI Rider
The Automatic Benefit Increase Rider works after one year of continuous monthly disability benefits payments by increasing the base policy monthly benefit by 5 percent of the original monthly amount each year. Benefits remain continuously payable until the payment has increased to twice the original amount, which increases stop.
The Guaranteed Insurability Rider allows you to increase your base policy monthly benefit by purchasing additional amounts of insurance. Additional amounts will have the same benefit period and elimination period as the policy. Increases do not require evidence of insurability and are based on your current income and the issue and participation limits in effect on the option date. The additional insurance premium will be based on your attained age and the current rates. You cannot exercise an option if disabled or receiving benefits.
The Own Occupation Rider extends the own occupation period for the total disability definition from two years to the period selected.
The Residual Disability Rider pays the residual disability monthly benefit if you are residually disabled and the elimination period has been satisfied by any continuous period of total and/or residual disability. Benefits will continue, and premiums will be waived until you cease to be residually disabled or to the end of the residual benefit period, whichever is first. The residual disability monthly benefit is based on your percentage loss of prior income.
The Supplemental Disability Income Rider will pay a monthly benefit less any social insurance benefits received, offset dollar for dollar if you are totally disabled and the elimination period has been satisfied. Benefits will be paid until you are no longer totally disabled or to the end of the maximum benefit period, whichever is first. No benefits will be paid if social insurance benefits exceed the SDIR monthly benefit amount.
Medical Exam Requirements
Breeze disability insurance does offer non-medical underwriting depending on your age and monthly benefit amount. No medical limits are as follows:
- Ages 18-50 applying for amounts of $5,000 or less
- Ages 51-55 applying for amounts of $2,000 or less
- Ages 56-60 applying for amounts of $1,500 or less
Any monthly benefit amount greater than the allowable non-medical limits will require a medical exam provided by the insurance provider free of cost.
Breeze Critical Illness Insurance
Critical illness insurance offers financial protection if you become diagnosed with an expensive or life-threatening illness. The plan covers 11 different illnesses:
- Invasive cancer
- Non-invasive cancer
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Major organ transplant
- Angioplasty
- Coronary artery bypass surgery
- Paralysis
- Coma
- Kidney failure
- Advanced Alzheimer’s disease
Critical illness insurance is a recommended option for anyone currently unprepared to deal with the financial impact of a major illness. You may also want to obtain critical illness insurance if you have a family history of cancer, heart disease, or diabetes.
According to a recent survey, 56% of Americans do not have enough savings to cover $1,000 in unexpected expenses. Unfortunately, a critical illness can cost tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs, which is why it accounts for 66% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S.
Critical illness can help cover your medical expenses. Instead of a monthly benefit, you receive a lump-sum payment for each qualifying illness. You can also use the payment received from a critical illness insurance payout however you want. For example, it may help cover medical costs, mortgage payments, bills, or other expenses.
| Issue Ages | 18 through 70 years |
| Underwriting Classes | Non-Tobacco and Tobacco Rates |
| Maximum Issue Limits | $5,000-$75,000 |
| Covered Conditions | Heart Attack – 100% Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery – 25% Angioplasty – 25% Stroke – 100% Invasive Cancer – 100% Non-Invasive Cancer – 25% Kidney Renal Failure – 100% Major Organ Transplant – 100% Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease – 100% Paralysis – 100% Coma – 100% |
| Elimination Periods | 30-day waiting period with a diagnosis of cancer |
| No Medical Exams | Non-medical simplified underwriting for all benefit amounts |
| Policy Benefits | Multi-benefit payout Return of premium |
| Renewability | Guaranteed renewable for life |
Issue Ages
Critical illness insurance is available for applicants between 18 and 70 years old. Instead of using your nearest birthday, Breeze uses your last birthday. So if you are age 60 and next month you will be turning 61, your rates will still be based on your current age.
This is different from long-term disability coverage, which raises your age if your birthday is within six months of applying for coverage.
Benefit Amounts
Breeze critical illness plans offer a minimum benefit amount of $5,000 and a maximum benefit amount of $75,000. In addition, all claim payments for critical illness are paid out in one single lump-sum payment instead of monthly payments.
Covered Conditions
There are 11 critical illness conditions covered under the Breeze insurance plan. In addition, 9 out of the 11 will payout a lump sum benefit of 100% of the policy’s total value.
- Heart Attack — 100%
- Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery — 25%
- Angioplasty — 25%
- Stroke — 100%
- Invasive Cancer — 100%
- Non-Invasive Cancer — 25%
- Kidney (Renal) Failure — 100%
- Major Organ Transplant (liver, kidney, lung, entire heart, or pancreas) — 25% payable when placed on the registry with the United Network for Organ Sharing and 75% payable upon completion of the organ transplant surgery
- Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease — 100%
- Paralysis — 100%
- Coma — 100%
When you purchase a Breeze critical illness insurance plan, the coverage does not end if you experience an illness and receive a lumpsum payment. The insurance coverage keeps paying out a benefit payment for each new critical illness as long as the insurance policy remains active.
Benefit Period
The Critical Illness plan does not include a set benefit period. Therefore, you can keep your coverage for life if you continue to pay the monthly premiums. However, your total benefit is reduced by 50% after age 70.
Elimination Period
No benefits will be paid for the diagnosis of invasive cancer or non-invasive cancer during the first 30 days of the policy. Coverage begins immediately for all other covered conditions.
Occupation Class
Breeze uses underwriting classes instead of occupation classes for critical illness insurance:
- Male non-tobacco
- Male tobacco
- Female non-tobacco
- Female tobacco
Nicotine use does not disqualify you from obtaining a plan, but it increases your premiums as it increases your risk of developing a potential illness.
Policy Benefits
In addition to eleven covered conditions, Breeze’s critical illness plans include multi-benefit payouts and a return of premium features.
Multi-Benefit Payout – An insured policyholder may receive benefits for each different illness covered if the date of diagnosis or procedure is separate from the prior illness by at least 6 consecutive months, and the new illness is not caused by or contributed to by a critical illness for which benefits have already been paid.
Return of Premium – If a death occurs from a cause other than a specified critical illness, all premiums payments paid into the coverage will be paid back to the beneficiary.
Medical Exam Requirements
You do not need a medical exam when applying for $5,000 to $75,000 in benefits. Breeze uses a simplified underwriting process with no medical exams for its critical illness plans. Eligibility will be based on answers to application questions and information received from third-party data sources.
Breeze Insurance Application Process
The Breeze disability and critical illness application process is entirely digital and completed from their website. Therefore, you do not need to speak with an agent or fill out any paperwork. However, there are agents available to help if needed.
Before applying for coverage, you will need to go through the initial quote process to view potential rates for coverage. The quoting process takes only seconds to complete. It will require you to answer a series of questions and supply a few basic details about yourself. Some of the details you need to provide include:
- Your birthday
- Your gender
- Tobacco use
- Type of work (disability coverage)
- Occupation (disability coverage)
- Income (disability coverage)
- Cancer diagnosis in the past 2-years (critical illness coverage)
- Zip Code
After providing these details, Breeze’s quote engine will supply you with three different plan recommendations based on your initial responses. You can choose from any of the three recommended plans or customize your own plan that suits your needs and budget.
After you select a plan, you will enter into the online application. The application should take 10-15 minutes to complete. It will require a few additional basic information questions and lifestyle and health questions.
The last part of the online application will require you to submit payment information. You will not be charged until your coverage has been approved and accepted. Once your electronic application has been signed, your application will be processed and underwritten for a decision. Some applications will receive instant approval, while others may take a few days.
If approved, your payment will be processed, and your insurance policy will be sent to your inbox.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any additional questions about Breeze insurance, you may find answers in the following FAQ. You can also leave a comment at the end of the review.
Is Breeze Insurance a good company?
Breeze is a relatively young company, but it offers a legitimate service. The insurance policies sold through Breeze are also backed by a reliable insurance company with over 130 years of experience.
Breeze also has an excellent rating on Trustpilot. The company has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 from 88 customer reviews.
Assurity is the company that issues your policy and handles claims. As one of the largest insurance companies in the US, Assurity is a trusted choice for any of your insurance needs.
Who should consider a Breeze disability insurance policy?
Breeze disability insurance provides income protection if you become sick or sustain an injury that would prevent you from working in your job. After waiting out an elimination period, the insurance company will begin to pay a monthly benefit as high as 60-80% of your regular monthly income until you return to work.
If taking time off work to recover would put your family at financial risk, then looking into a Breeze disability insurance plan would be a wise decision. While Breeze disability insurance plans can protect a wide range of people, there are certain areas where the product fits best.
- 25- to 55-year-old working Americans, but available to ages 18-60
- Household incomes of $35,000 to $150,000 and higher
- Middle-income occupations like nurses, realtors, and teachers
- Higher-income professions like doctors, lawyers, and engineers
- May be single but more likely to have one or two dependents
- Post-fulltime education and pre-retirement
Does Breeze Insurance offer other types of insurance?
Breeze currently only offers long-term disability insurance and critical illness insurance. However, the company plans to offer short-term disability insurance in early 2022.
Short-term disability insurance will be provided by Principal Life instead of Assurity as Breeze continues to expand its offerings and partnerships.
Will a medical exam be required?
If applying for critical illness insurance, you will not be required to take a medical exam.
With long-term disability insurance, applicants between the ages of 18 and 50 can skip a medical exam with benefits up to $5,000. Those between the ages of 51 and 55 with benefit amounts of $2,000 or less may skip the exam. If you are between the ages of 56 and 60, you can get up to $1,500 with no medical exam.
Short-term disability insurance plans are not expected to require a medical exam when it officially launches this year.
How quick is approval for coverage?
Some applicants may experience an instant approval, but typically most applications are given an underwriting decision within a few days of submitting your application if you qualify for simplified underwriting. However, the process may take several weeks if you need to complete a medical exam.
Are Breeze representatives available to assist with the application process?
Yes, representatives are available to assist with the application process. You can complete the process online on your own or work with an agent to complete the application.
Is there a paper application available?
Breeze does not offer a paper application. However, if you have any trouble with the online application portal, you can work with a licensed insurance agent to complete the application.
How are disability and critical illness claims processed?
You can handle all aspects of your policy using your Breeze online account. This includes filing a claim. After signing into your account in a web browser, you can complete the online claim form. Breeze submits the claim to Assurity, as Assurity is the company that pays your benefits.
If you obtain disability insurance, you do not receive benefits until the policy’s elimination period ends. You can choose a period between 30 days and 365 days.
The critical illness plan has a 30-day waiting period for cancer diagnoses. Coverage begins immediately for a diagnosis of any other covered condition.
Is there a restriction on how you use a claim payment?
No, you can use the benefit however you choose. You may use them to cover medical costs related to your disability or critical illness, replace lost income, or pay off major debts, such as a mortgage or car loan. You have the freedom to use the payments to best suit your needs.
Is Breeze Disability and Critical Illness insurance plans affordable?
Breeze insurance plans are affordable, depending on the type of insurance, your age, occupation, and benefit amount. For example, a male accountant may obtain a $1,300 monthly disability benefit for about $14 per month. A female roofer seeking a $3,800 monthly disability benefit may pay about $154 per month.
The critical illness plans may cost as little as a few dollars per month. For example, a 25-year-old female wanting a $25,000 benefit may pay about $10 per month. A 45-year-old male seeking a $75,000 benefit may pay around $116 per month.
Does Breeze accept people with pre-existing health conditions?
Some pre-existing health conditions may disqualify you from obtaining a plan from Breeze. You must also disclose any pre-existing conditions. In addition, providing false or misleading information will disqualify you from receiving a benefit.
Breeze has a long list of uninsurable medical conditions. Some of the most common conditions include:
- ALS
- Bell’s palsy
- Bipolar disorder
- Blood clot history
- Cancer (stage 2 or higher)
- Diabetes with insulin
- Drug/alcohol treatment in the last 5 years
- Parkinson’s disease
- Heart attacks
- Hepatitis C
- Leukemia
- Narcolepsy
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Breeze also insures individuals with certain pre-existing conditions. Marijuana usage, high cholesterol, and sudden weight loss are not disqualifying conditions.
Are Breeze Insurance plans offered elsewhere?
Breeze disability and critical illness insurance plans are available through its registered insurance agents. Comparable plans are also available through Assurity, which is the company that issues the policies sold by Breeze. However, Breeze stands out for offering a completely digital solution.
Are there any Breeze Insurance alternatives?
Along with Breeze and Assurity, you can get disability and critical illness insurance from a wide range of providers. Many of the largest insurance companies offer disability and critical illness coverage.
You may also be able to add disability or critical illness insurance to an existing policy. For example, some life insurance policies include optional riders for adding a disability benefit or a critical illness benefit.
Some employers offer disability insurance. You may be able to obtain an employer-sponsored plan with premiums taken automatically out of your paycheck.
How do you get a Breeze Insurance quote?
You can get a Breeze insurance quote using the company’s online application form or working with a licensed insurance agent. In addition, No Medical Exam Quotes has also partnered with Breeze to offer our clients a quick and convenient way to obtain Critical Illness and Disability coverage.
What is the cancellation policy with Breeze?
The company cannot cancel your policy for any reason other than a lapse in premium payments. However, you may cancel your policy within the first 30 days to receive a refund of your initial premium payment. If you cancel after 30 days, you cannot obtain a refund without the return of the premium rider.
Pros of Working with Breeze Insurance
Here are some of the reasons to consider getting an insurance policy from Breeze insurance:
- Affordable prices
- Plans available for high-risk occupations and hobbies
- Underwritten by one of the top insurance companies
- You can save money with annual payments
- Receive a quote in minutes
- You may avoid a medical exam
Breeze insurance is affordable and available for those with high-risk occupations and hobbies. If you enjoy scuba diving, bungee jumping, boxing, or mountain climbing, you should not need to worry about your activities getting in the way of your insurability.
The plans are also underwritten by Assurity, which is one of the top-rated insurers in the world. While the plans are already affordable, you can save more money by paying annually instead of monthly.
You can start the application process and receive a quote in about 15 minutes. Depending on the benefit amount, you may skip a medical exam and receive a decision in a few days.
Cons of Working with Breeze Insurance
Breeze insurance does not come with any major drawbacks. However, both disability and critical illness plans are unavailable in New York, which is a disadvantage for New York residents.
Conclusion – Is Breeze Disability and Critical Illness Insurance Plans Worth It?
Breeze disability and critical illness plans are worth it due to their affordability and flexibility. You can choose from a variety of options to help give you and your family more peace of mind. You can obtain protection for disabilities and critical illnesses at low prices.
Even if you have a good health insurance plan and adequate life insurance, disability, and critical illness coverage can help supplement your existing policies.
Get a Breeze insurance quote today for a more financially secure future.
