Demographics Affect Private Long Term Disability Insurance Companies In The Same Way As Social Security

From a press release:

The Council for Disability Awareness (CDA) today announced that the number of long term disability claims [mostly as a part of employer pension plans] continued to increase year over year, while the number of wage earners protected by private disability income insurance declined in 2011 for the third consecutive year. ...

The age group that experienced the largest increase in the number of new approved claims over the past four years was individuals over age 60, in part, reflecting the aging of the baby boomer generation. ...

"When you look at the Social Security Disability Insurance program, the number of workers receiving payments increased to 8.6 million by the end of 2011, its highest level ever," [the President of CDA] continued. "Given the current trends, analysts predict that the SSDI trust fund will be depleted within five years. However, the silver lining is that applications and new SSDI claim approvals declined during 2011 after several years of increased applications and approvals." ...

By a large margin, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue - such as arthritis, spine disorders, back pain, sciatica and osteoporosis - continue to be the leading cause of disability claims (representing 30.5 percent of all 2011 claims).

      Notice that it's not just Social Security that's experiencing an increase in disability claims. Private insurance companies are experiencing the same increase and it's for the same demographic reasons and that musculoskeletal problems are the leading cause of disability for both. Notice also that this increase is leveling out as the number of baby boomers entering their most disability prone years is being balanced out by the number entering their retirement years.