Some of the strongest, most flexible protection a physician can get — this is not available anywhere else in the industry!
Our enhanced definition starts with our strong True Own-Occupation Definition of Total Disability. If totally disabled, it provides a physician with the flexibility to be gainfully employed, in some instances even in their own practice, and still receive total disability benefits
Then, we add a straightforward, easy-to-understand formula to qualify for benefits. It’s based on the source of your earnings and provides more ways to qualify for total disability benefits. We’ll consider you totally disabled if more than 50% of your income is from:
If you don’t qualify for benefits under the source-of-earnings formula above, then we’ll look at your key duties, including those you were performing in your medical specialty at the time your disability began, to assess whether you qualify.
See how three different physicians qualify for total disability. The first two qualify using the enhanced formula, and the third under a traditional assessment of how the disability affected his or her ability to perform occupational duties.
| PRE-DISABILITY SOURCES OF INCOME | POST-DISABILITY CAPABILITIES | UNDER OUR ENHANCED TRUE OWN-OCCUPATION, CONSIDERED | EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS WHILE TOTALLY DISABLED | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SURGEON | • 60% from surgery • 40% from patient care and office visits | PERSISTENT TREMOR IN DOMINANT HAND • Cannot perform surgery • Able to diagnose and treat patients | Totally Disabled (full benefits) because more than 50% of income came from surgical procedures and he or she can no longer perform those due to disability. | Each physician, while eligible for total disability benefits, can choose to be: |
| INTERNIST | • 100% from hands-on patient care and office visits | SPINAL CORD INJURY • Cannot diagnose and treat patients | Totally Disabled (full benefits) because more than 50% of income came from patient care and he or she can no longer do that due to disability. | • Gainfully employed full time or part time anywhere, even in his or her practice/business, |
| PATHOLOGIST | • 100% from specimen evaluation MACULAR DEGENERATION • Binocular vision impaired | Totally Disabled (full benefits): While unable to qualify under the enhanced formula, he or she would qualify based on the inability to perform the material and substantial duties of his or her own occupation (True Own-Occupation) due to disability. | and still receive his or her full total disability benefits. | or • Not gainfully employed |
