Disability Income Insurance For Resident Physicians

Resident physicians under age 40 can apply for up to $5,000 in monthly benefits regardless of their current salary, debt, or other insurance. Benefits are payable regardless of whether your covered total disability is caused by accident, illness, or organ donation.

Members of the American Medical Association receive a 10% rate reduction for at least the first year of coverage. Rate reductions are reviewed annually and although not promised or guaranteed, premium credits have lowered the cost of this insurance since 2006. Rates may vary by state of residence. 

This coverage includes an “Own-Specialty” definition of disability, which means, benefits are payable if you are unable, as the result of a covered illness, injury, or organ donation to perform the duties of your own medical specialty and are not gainfully employed – even if you have the ability to work in another field of medicine. However, you can enhance the protection of this coverage by choosing the “True Own-Specialty” definition of disability to allow you to collect benefit if you choose to return to work in another occupation. Additional cost applies. Benefits can be payable up to age 67.

If you are disabled by accident, illness, or organ donation before age 62, benefits under this policy are payable up to age 67. If you are disabled at age 62, benefits are payable for up to 60 months. At age 63 and after, the benefit period is reduced by six months depending on your age at disability. From age 70 to 75, benefits are payable up to 12 months.

If you are disabled due to mental, nervous or emotional disorders before age 69, benefits under this policy are limited to 24 months. At age 69 and 70, benefits are limited to 18 and 12 months, respectively. This limitation does not apply to any period you are institutionalized in any treatment facility.

This benefit is available to physicians insured prior to age 40. This benefit could pay up to $200,000 of eligible student loans if you are totally and permanently disabled before age 45. This benefit is paid in addition to your monthly disability benefit and it’s included in your coverage at no additional charge.

Increases your base monthly benefit by 30% if you become Totally Disabled plus and unable to perform two of six activities of daily living-bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, eating, or continence. You will also be eligible for this benefit if your disability results in a Cognitive Impairment: the deterioration or irreversible loss of intellectual capacity. Benefit is available for 10% additional premium, you must have a minimum of $3,000 in base benefits to elect the rider if under age 60 (or 20% additional premium if age 60 and above).

For just 15% additional premium you may add the COLA option. With it, the monthly benefit payable for a covered total disability may be adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living based on the CPI-U.* Years are measured from the start of the waiting period. In the first year, no adjustment will be made. Adjustments may be made to the monthly benefit paid in the second and each succeeding year. Note: If you choose this option in addition to the Catastrophic Disability Rider above, the cost of the COLA option will be an additional 1.5% in premium for a total of 16.5% (or an additional 3% in premium for a total of 18% if age 60 and above). “CPI-U” means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, All items, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. If the CPI-U, in New York Life’s opinion, is no longer a valid index for the purpose of this Option, or is no longer published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, they will use a new index.

To help you recover, you may also qualify for rehabilitation benefits in addition to your monthly disability benefit if you participate in an approved accredited occupational rehabilitation program while you are disabled.

This allows you to make a gradual transition back to full-time employment following a covered total disability. Collect partial benefits, if you return to work part time in your specialty (true own-specialty definition) or collect partial benefits, if you return to work part time in your specialty or any other occupation (own specialty definition), provided you first qualify for a covered Total Disability and provided your monthly income is reduced by at least 20%. Benefits will be based on a percentage of your total monthly benefit.

If you are under age 40, this option may allow you a future increase in benefits with no health questions or medical exams required if your income increases and you remain actively at work. This one-time option must be exercised within the first three years of your original effective date and before your 40th birthday.

If you contract a Communicable Disease* before age 67, you may qualify for benefits without the requirement that you suffer a covered total disability. You’ll be eligible for this benefit if the illness causes you to earn less than 75% of you average monthly income for the period before your practice was limited and/or condition was disclosed as a result of contracting the disease.

*Communicable Disease means any of the following conditions, but only if: (a) the medical profession recommends; or (b) an appropriate governmental agency requires; the disclosure of the diagnosis of the Communicable Disease and/or a limitation of his or her practice due to contracting the Communicable Disease: Acute Viral Hepatitis of a non A type, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or tuberculosis.

This coverage will pay up to one basic monthly benefit to you to care for a close family member with a Serious Health Condition.* Your spouse or domestic partner; child, including a step-child, adopted child or child of your domestic partner; or your parents, are considered close family members. The health condition must be certified by the family member’s licensed attending physician.

You must be working at least 20% fewer hours and have a loss of 20% or more of your average monthly income, due to the time off to qualify. The monthly benefit is the amount payable in proportion to the loss of monthly income up to a maximum of one basic monthly benefit.

0%-19%: No benefit
20%-25%: 25% of the Basic Monthly Benefit is payable
26%-50%: 50% of the Basic Monthly Benefit is payable
51%-75%: 75% of the Basic Monthly Benefit is payable
76%-100%: 100% of the Basic Monthly Benefit is payable

*Serious Health Condition is a condition that causes the family member: to be unable to complete, without substantial supervision, two of six ‘activities of daily living,’ including bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, (e.g., in and out of bed), eating and continence; to require substantial supervision due to severe cognitive impairment; to be hospitalized; or to become terminally ill with a condition that is reasonably expected to result in death within 12 months.

Your insurance can continue beyond the end date of the coverage if you cease to be employed full-time due to layoff, leave of absence, or a leave of absence required by state law or by the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). Your coverage will continue for up to 90 days during a temporary layoff or a leave of absence other than state mandated leave or FMLA; or the greater of the period required by state law or by FMLA provided the leave authorization is in writing and required premium is paid.The insurance will then end on the earliest of 90 days after the temporary lay-off or leave of absence (other than state mandated leave of FMLA) began; the date the layoff becomes permanent; the date the state mandated leave or FMLA leave ends; or the date insurance would otherwise end.

Select a waiting period of 2, 3, 6, or 12 months. The waiting period is defined as the period of time from the start of a covered total disability during which no benefits are payable. Benefits are not payable if you work in any occupation during the waiting period. (Note: for organ donation, the waiting period is waived as long as insurance has been in effect for at least six months.)

Once claim payments begin, any premium becoming due will be waived; no further premiums will be due while you remain disabled.

Subject to U.S. government regulations on restricted countries. You’ll have 24-hour/7-day a week protection, whether you are at home, at work, or on vacation anywhere in the world. U.S. residency is required to maintain coverage.