Accelerated Death Benefit

An accelerated death benefit (ADB) is a rider or built-in policy feature that allows a terminally ill policyholder to access a portion of their death benefit while still living. Typically triggered when a licensed physician certifies a life expectancy of 12–24 months or less, the advance reduces the final death benefit paid to beneficiaries by the amount withdrawn plus any applicable fees. The benefit helps cover end-of-life medical costs, hospice care, or other expenses without depleting other assets. Some policies extend this feature to chronic or critical illness diagnoses. Not all policies include this automatically — confirm with your policy documents.