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Physician Disability Insurance
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Protecting medical professionals for over 30 years.

Disability Insurance Quotes for Doctors

Compare Disability Insurance Plans

Own-occupation specialty-specific disability insurance plans for surgeons, cardiologists, neurologists, dermatologists, orthopedic surgeons, anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, ophthalmologists, gastroenterologists, pulmonologists, oncologists, psychiatrists, obstetricians, and other medical specialists.

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Physician Disability Insurance Brokers

About Set for Life Insurance

Our client-centric approach, vast experience, and exceptional reputation provide access to special services like priority underwriting and unique discounts.

Meet Jamie Fleischner

Jamie K. Fleischner, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, has spent more than three decades at the forefront of a specialized—and often misunderstood—corner of the insurance industry: disability insurance physician protection.

Disability Insurance for Medical Residents

Set for Life Insurance has specialized in helping medical students, residents and physicians for over three decades.

Physician Disability Insurance FAQ

How does own-occupation coverage protect doctors compared to any-occupation policies?

Understanding Own-Occupation Coverage for Medical Professionals

While coverage amounts and waiting periods are important, the most critical feature of any physician disability policy is the own-occupation definition. This determines whether you’ll actually receive benefits when unable to practice your medical specialty.

Own-occupation coverage protects doctors by providing disability benefits when they cannot perform the substantial and material duties of their medical specialty due to a sickness or injury. This safeguard ensures that physicians receive compensation even when capable of working in other medical specialties or capacities.

Example: A surgeon who develops hand tremors receives full benefits even if capable of teaching medicine or working in administrative roles. This preserves financial security during career transitions.

Any-occupation policies require physicians to be unable to work in any occupation for which they are reasonably suited by education, training, or experience before triggering benefits. Under any-occupation definitions, disabled physicians may lose benefits if deemed capable of alternative employment, even at reduced income levels compared to their medical specialty earnings.

Own-Occupation vs Any-Occupation Policies:

  • Own-occupation: Pays benefits if you cannot perform your medical specialty
  • Any-occupation: Requires inability to work in any occupation suited to your education and experience
  • Financial impact: The difference can be substantial for medical professionals
  • Premium difference: Own-occupation costs 15-25% more but provides superior protection

The financial impact difference between own-occupation and any-occupation coverage can be huge for a medical professional. A radiologist who loses vision in one eye might qualify for own-occupation benefits while being denied any-occupation coverage due to potential alternative work capabilities, creating income replacement gaps that could devastate physician financial planning.

True own-occupation definitions provide the strongest protection by never converting to any-occupation coverage throughout the benefit period. Modified own-occupation policies may transition to any-occupation after specific timeframes, typically 2-5 years, reducing long-term disability protection for physicians who cannot return to their medical specialties.

What specialties benefit most from true own-occupation coverage?

Specialties Requiring True Own-Occupation Coverage:

Surgical Specialties:
  • Orthopedic surgeons (manual dexterity requirements)
  • Neurosurgeons (precision and steady hands)
  • Cardiac surgeons (fine motor control) • Hand surgeons (exceptional dexterity needs)
Procedure-Based Specialties:
  • Interventional cardiology (catheter-based procedures)
  • Gastroenterology (endoscopic procedures)
  • Interventional radiology (image-guided procedures)
  • Ophthalmology (microsurgical techniques)
Diagnosis-Dependent Specialties:
  • Radiologists (visual acuity requirements)
  • Pathologists (microscopic analysis)
  • Dermatologists (visual pattern recognition)

Why Own-Occupation Matters:

  • Minor injuries can end procedural careers
  • High incomes depend on specialized technical skills
  • Alternative medical work pays less
  • Physical limitations don’t eliminate all work capability
Surgical Specialties and Own-Occupation Protection Benefits

Surgical specialties receive maximum protection from own-occupation coverage due to highly specialized skill requirements and substantial income levels. Hand surgeons, for example, require exceptional manual dexterity that even minor nerve damage could eliminate, making own-occupation coverage crucial for career protection.

Can high-income specialists get supplemental disability coverage beyond standard limits?

For high-income specialists, even maximum own-occupation coverage from a single carrier may not provide adequate income replacement, and that’s where supplemental policies come in handy.

High-income specialists can obtain supplemental disability coverage beyond standard limits through multi-company strategies or specialized high-limit carriers. Physicians earning over $300,000 annually usually require supplemental policies to get enough income replacement, as single-carrier limits typically cap at $20,000 monthly regardless of actual income levels.

Supplemental coverage strategies involve coordinating policies from multiple carriers to achieve higher total benefits without violating individual company participation limits. As an independent broker specializing in physician coverage, we coordinate these arrangements, ensuring the best coverage options with the lowest premium payments so medical professionals can compare disability insurance for physicians across multiple carriers. If you combine benefits from more than one company, you may carry an aggregate amount of benefit up to $30,000 monthly.

Lloyd’s of London and other surplus lines carriers provide high-limit supplemental coverage for ultra-high-income specialists whose standard coverage needs exceed traditional carrier capacities. These specialized markets offer coverage limits up to $50,000 monthly or higher for qualifying physicians with appropriate income documentation and underwriting approval.

Multi-company arrangements require careful analysis to prevent benefit disputes during claims, with primary and secondary coverage designations established upfront. For these reasons, physicians should work with experienced disability insurance brokers like Set for Life Insurance to structure supplemental coverage properly and secure adequate income protection for future claims processing.

How do multiple physician disability policies coordinate benefits?

Multiple physician disability policies coordinate benefits through primary and secondary designations established during the application process. The primary carrier pays benefits first up to policy limits, while secondary carriers provide additional benefits up to their policy limits, ensuring physicians receive maximum coverage without benefit overlaps or conflicts.

Coordination provisions prevent over-insurance by limiting total benefits to predetermined percentages of pre-disability income. Most carriers require disclosure of existing coverage during applications and establish coordination formulas that maintain appropriate incentives for return-to-work efforts while providing comprehensive income replacement. Individual policies are primary whereas group benefits through employers are secondary.