Disability Insurance

[Guest]

Has anyone here purchased specialty specific disability insurance at the start of residency? I'm looking for a general framework on where to buy it, how much coverage I might need, and any neurosurgery specific issues that are relevant to the purchase of disability insurance for a PGY-1.

[Focus]

I purchased it during residency but not quite at the beginning due mostly to a lack of knowledge. The important points are to ensure you get a policy that specifically covers you for not being able to practice medicine as a neurological surgeon. The secind key point isnt so much to have a large amount of coverage as a resident but instead to get an agreed upon rate while you are young and healthy that allowz you to increase the amount of coverage when you are an attending without having to do any subsequent health screenining.

[SirVictorHorseley]

agree with focus, you need specialty specific coverage, at least after 2nd year once you've suffered enough that you wouldn't want to retrain as a radiologist, you could consider waiting on getting it until then. Get as much coverage as you can even though you can't get that much coverage as a resident due to your low income and then make sure you have a future increase rider that lets you buy a lot of coverage without a new medical exam once your income goes up to attending level. I think my policy would pay out 5k a month currently and I can increase the coverage to 16k a month as an attending. That was the most coverage I could buy.

[Anon]

Check out “White Coat Investor” on the net, written by an ER doc with very practical and clearly written financial  advice for every one from med students to retired attendings.His posts on disability insurance are the best I have seen.

[Don]

This thread is helpful. I personally never considered disability insurance before, but the comments got me rethinking.

[Mariefet]

Are there any American Military Veterans that can give me some advice on applying for an increase in disability rating from the U.S. Veterans Administration while living in Thailand?

[Guest]

Are there programs that will pay for some of this?

[Guest]

yeh for sure