You must know about situations in which you can start to benefit from your policy. After all, it's you who pay a whole fortune for it. This is often called benefit triggers. In a sample contact, you may find the benefit triggers in a section called "Eligibility for the Payment of Benefits" or "Eligibility for Benefits." Two common benefit triggers are Activity of Daily Livings - ADLs and Cognitive Impairment. - ADLs: ADLs are referred to by most companies as bathing, continence, dressing, eating, toileting, and transferring.  When you are unable to do some of the ADLs, you are qualified to receive the benefits. For example, when you cannot eat and get dressed by yourself (two of six). In some cases, some insurers will require more ADLs, which makes it harder for you to claim your benefit. Knowing about this will make you more careful when considering a policy.  Some insurance companies may require you to have someone help you with the activities called hands-on assistance. This means that you need to have someone to help you, in contrast to stand-by assistance. Remember to check this very clearly in your policy to avoid any confusion later on. - Cognitive impairment: When you are diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other dementia symptoms, you can file a claim to your insurer to get your benefits.