Disability Insurance: What Residents Need to Know – Part 1

As a medical resident who is just starting out, you have likely heard about disability insurance, but you may not know a lot about what it is, and why it is important.  In this series of posts, we will be discussing a few things that every medical resident should know about disability insurance.

In this post we will look at the likelihood of disability, and discuss how you can begin to protect yourself now and in the future.  In subsequent posts we’ll address some of the key provisions to look for in a disability insurance policy, ways to make sure your policy meets current and future expenses, and ways to increase your disability benefits over time, as both your earning potential and financial obligations expand.

Likelihood of Disability

As a resident, you are beginning what will hopefully be a long and successful career as a physician.  The possibility of suffering either a short or long-term disability is probably the last thing on your mind, especially if you are still young and healthy.  However, the American Medical Association (AMA) reports that 60% of surveyed physicians have a colleague who has sustained a disability accident or injury.[1]  A Social Security Administration report shows that it is significantly more likely that a worker born in 1996 will become disabled during his or her career than die,[2]  and just over 1 in 4 of today’s twenty-year-olds will become disabled before they retire.[3]

Protection Against Disability

The majority of young doctors under 40 are married, have children, are homeowners, and 75% report that they are their family’s primary breadwinner.[4]  Young doctors also face substantial student loan debt, totaling around $166,750, on average.  With a resident’s salary averaging just $50,000 a year,[5] it can be tempting to put off adding the additional expense of an insurance premium.  However, with most young doctors having less than $50,000 in an emergency fund [6], it’s never too early to start planning to protect your family and provide for care in the unfortunate event you can no longer practice.

While many residents and doctors choose to take part in disability plans offered by their employers, these plans will often not provide adequate coverage, and any disability benefits you do receive will likely be taxable. In contrast, an individual plan provides coverage that is yours as you move from your residency and through (potentially) many different employers. Individual plans also typically allow you to adjust your disability coverage as your income potential grows.[7]  However, not all individual policies are created equal and it is important to carefully choose a disability insurance policy.

In our next post, we’ll examine some key provisions to be aware of when shopping for an individual disability insurance policy.

[1] Robert Nagler Miller, Residents: Your disability insurance coverage may fall short, AMA Wire, April 4, 2017, https://wire.ama-assn.org/life-career/residents-your-disability-insurance-coverage-may-fall-short

[2] Johanna Maleh and Tiffany Bosley, Disability and Death Probability Tables for Insured Workers Born in 1996, Social Security Administration, Office of the Chief Actuary, Actuarial Note, No. 2016.6, October 2016.

[3] You, disabled?  What are your chances?, The Council for Disability Awareness, 2015, http://www.disabilitycanhappen.org/chances_disability/

[4] 2015 Report on U.S. Physicians’ Financial Preparedness, Young Physicians Segment, American Medical Association Insurance, https://www.amainsure.com/reports/2015-young-physician-report/index.html?page=5

[5] Kathy Kristof, $1 million mistake: Becoming a doctor, CBS Money Watch, Sept. 10, 2013, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/1-million-mistake-becoming-a-doctor/

[6] 2015 Report, Supra.

[7] Miller, Supra.

[8] 2015 Report, Supra

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