It may seem like an unnecessary expense when you're in the midst of trying to save for your future, but disability insurance is a worthwhile consideration. Disability coverage provides financial protection if you become disabled and are no longer able to work. The cost of long-term care can be astronomical, so it's important to plan ahead by purchasing disability insurance before any medical issues arise. Purchasing disability insurance during fellowship will provide peace of mind and help protect both your finances and independence should anything happen in the future.
In this blog post we will cover the reasons it is important that you obtain disability insurance before the end of your training program.
PROTECT YOUR INCOME
You never know when an injury or accident could happen that would prevent you from performing your duties. This is why disability insurance should be a priority for anyone who wants financial security. If you were to become disabled, the replacement income would take care of anything needed while you recover!
Think of it this way: you have spent thousands of dollars and hours investing in medical school and your training. After all is said and done, your career is dependent on your health.
Your career and your income depend on YOUR ability to work and perform your required duties. Disability insurance is an important part of the picture when you are juggling work, family, and finances. It will give you peace in knowing that if anything happens to change your life's course - whether it's a temporary or permanent disability - you'll still be able to support yourself financially without worry!
SECURE YOUR DISCOUNTS
Training program discounts can significantly bring down your disability insurance policy cost. If you are still a resident or fellow, you’re eligible for discounts of up to 40%. These discounts can save you thousands of dollars as they will last the lifetime of your policy.
These discounts are available in most cases for individuals who purchase their policy before they graduate, which means it's important for you as a resident, fellow, or recent grad to lock those discounts early.
Do you still qualify for discounts?
Although these discounts are specific to individuals in training, some companies will give you a grace period of eligibility. These grace periods can range in length and are different for every company so it is important to get your quote request in as soon as possible to ensure that you will qualify for discounts and still have competitive options.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM UNFORESEEN HEALTH CHANGES
Don’t forget about your health! You may not be thinking about the things that could go wrong, but you should. An event like an injury or accident can end up being what stands in the way of all future events if left unplanned for.
A lot goes into planning out how we want our lives to go but your health is somewhat unpredictable. The healthier you are, the lower your cost will be. Injuries and/or chronic conditions could prevent you from getting covered in the future.
This is why we recommend you eliminate bad habits like smoking before you apply.
KEEP YOUR PREMIUM COST DOWN
Your age can be one of the most important determining factors for your disability insurance cost because typically speaking, younger people don't get as many disabilities and illnesses.
The logic behind this is simple: The healthier you are in general (and by extension), less sick time will pass without an injury or illness setting back progress significantly; meaning there's more productivity lost from work than what would've been expected otherwise based on longevity alone--which leads us right back around to overhead costs again!
Since disability insurance rates don’t change once you’ve secured a policy, you want to lock in your rates as early in your career as possible. As we mentioned above, disability insurance rates are based on your age, health, and income.
Getting a policy while you are still a resident or fellow can save you a lot of money in the long run.
When considering the best price and the best time to buy your policy, keep this in mind. By taking five minutes to fill out a quote request you can see what you would pay for your medical professional-specific policy. If you are ready to get your quotes, fill out a quote request here!