Every year, nearly 800,000 Americans will have a stroke.  Most will survive shares Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.

"Every 40 seconds, someone in this country has a stroke," shares Slome, director of the advocacy organization.  "The vast majority will survive but many will not be able to say the same for their savings or assets."

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 795,000 people in the United States will have a stroke in 2020.  Over 600,000 of these will be first or new strokes.

"Most people today will survive a stroke, but they will likely need months to recover," Slome explains.  "There's a financial toll that rarely is prepared for.  Even with the best health insurance people face significant costs for deductibles and costs that often are not covered by health insurance."

The real financial toll is associated with lost income, Slome explains.  "Just look at what's taking place today with Coronavirus and the millions of Americans who'll be losing their paycheck while being furloughed from work.  That's what will happen to many following a stroke, except there won't be a government stimulus support package coming your way."

Slome advocated that consumers stuck at home, take the opportunity to educate themselves regarding future financial planning.  "Our educational system does not educate people about financial planning," Slome regrets.  "We leave it up to individuals and then we are amazed at the lack of understanding and planning that takes place."

For men and women who are 45 or older, the Association director recommends learning more about critical illness insurance.  "Strokes are real risks after age 45, and the Association has just posted stroke survival data that reports numbers after one year and five year periods," he acknowledged.  One year following a first stroke, 89 percent of white males and 92 percent of black males are still alive according to the data.

The American Association for Critical Illness Insurance is an advocacy and informational organization that strives to create heightened awareness for the planning options.  Access their Critical Illness Insurance Cost Calculator by visiting the organization's website at www.criticalillnessinsuranceinfo.org.