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Physician Contract Glossary · Benefits & Leave

Disability Insurance

Disability insurance replaces income if illness or injury keeps you from practicing, and the definition of disability is what matters most.

Disability insurance pays a portion of your income if you cannot work due to illness or injury. For physicians, the single most important feature is whether the policy is own-occupation, meaning it pays if you cannot perform your specialty even if you could do some other job. Employer group coverage is often weaker than a strong individual own-occupation policy, and it is rarely portable.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Check whether employer coverage is own-occupation and whether it is portable if you leave. Group disability frequently is not, which is why many physicians carry their own individual policy on top of it.

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