What would happen if a simple fall left an employee with a badly broken arm and unable to work for months? Technically, he would be disabled. And if he was not protected by long-term disability insurance, his wages would be cut off.

You care about your employees - but, as a business owner, is it worth trying to fit a long-term disability plan into your budget?

Seven out of every 10 employees between the ages of 35 and 65 will at some point in their career be disabled for three months or longer, according to the Health Insurance Association of America, a trade association made up of more than 200 private health care companies. Those numbers are scary, especially since most businesses don't have long-term disability coverage.

Although most do offer short-term disability, it usually only covers three months. Carpal tunnel syndrome, a car accident, or even pneumonia, can leave an employee out of work for months. And despite their income coming to a halt, their bills won't.

Long-term disability insurance allows your employees to receive a portion of their salary while they are unable to work, regardless of whether the injury is sustained on the job or not. Most plans kick in after 90 days of being out of work and last until retirement (age 65) - or, of course, until the employee can return to work. Coverage will pay a portion of the base salary, typically 60 percent, although the range for policies is 50 percent to 80 percent.

So if you do decide to offer long-term disability, what's in it for you? It's an affordable way to beef up your benefits package and attract employees. And if a valuable employee gets hurt, you'll want him or her to get back to work as soon as possible. Remember employees are receiving only a fraction of their salary - the incentive to receive their full salary again will encourage them to get back to work.

Although costs for long-term disability insurance have been rising, providing a plan for your business does not have to put a strain on your budget. Most businesses do cover the entire premium for basic coverage, but it's not as expensive as other benefits and it's tax deductible.

Policy prices depend on a number of factors such as your business type and the age of your employees. For example, an accounting firm of newly graduated CPAs is going to have a cheaper premium than a construction business made up of middle-age workers.

Here's a benchmark - an office environment with 50 employees, neither particularly young or old, can expect to pay about $25,000 per year for basic coverage that starts after 90 days and ends at retirement - compare that to health insurance which can cost the same amount per month!

You aren't required by law to offer long-term disability to protect yourself and your employees. But numbers don't lie - the chances of a incurring a disability are too high not to look into offering a plan.