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Many professionals ensure they have disability insurance coverage when they start a new job. With several employer benefits being set for confirmation and renewal, many employees do not conduct a thorough review of their coverage annually despite changing needs over time. It is a good idea to review your policies 

Another option should your employer-offered disability insurance policies not meet your needs, is to purchase your own policies outside the group plan. There are a number of advantages to having an individual disability insurance policy, notably being able to take your policy with you should you change jobs as well as being able to make the policy selection that best meets your needs.

Of course, the hope is to not need to use your disability insurance as not needing these benefits would mean you remain healthy and able to continue your medical career. However, we know the unexpected can happen and your disability insurance benefits are a financial safeguard should you become disabled and unable to practice medicine. 

Whether your disability insurance benefits are through an employer group plan or an individual disability policy you purchased on your own, doctors face many challenges in getting their rightfully due disability insurance benefits. When this happens, it is critical to work with an experienced disability insurance attorney to pursue your claim for disability insurance benefits. You have worked diligently to achieve your career goals in medicine, and now that is being disrupted by a disability. Do not let the insurance company take advantage of you while you are disabled and unable to work. Let Seltzer & Associates fight on your behalf for the disability insurance benefits that will provide you with financial security during this difficult time. Regardless of the source of your disability insurance policy, we are here to help you get the disability insurance benefits you deserve.

Keeping Insurance Coverage Throughout Career Growth Benefits Doctors

One of the key benefits of individual disability insurance coverage is that you can maintain your policy throughout your career growth. Physicians have many stages of their career where they may change employers, such as moving from residency to full-time doctor or working in a fellowship role. At each juncture and change of employment, the physician would lose their existing employer-sponsored benefits including disability insurance benefits, leaving a gap in coverage. While you can explore options to fill in these gaps, if your disability insurance policy is not linked to your employer, you will maintain coverage as you move from role to role in your medical career. This provides you with additional security should you become disabled while starting a new job before you are eligible for employer-group disability insurance benefits.

Carrying your own disability insurance policy from one job to the next eliminates a gap in time in your coverage since coverage does not end with your employment. You will also already know what your disability policy covers and what it pays in the event of disability, so that will be one less chance for you to encounter as you change job roles. The familiarity you maintain with your insurance carrier over the years should be a benefit to you as you would know how to get information on additional insurance product offerings and look into plans that best meet your needs through life changes and career growth. Communication with your individual disability insurance company should remain clear and consistent even when other aspects of your life change. 

Despite these clear benefits of consistency, you may still encounter obstacles in obtaining your disability insurance benefits. An experienced disability insurance attorney can help you overcome these challenges and secure your disability insurance benefits. Seltzer & Associates works with insurance companies and clients nationwide to ensure that the disability insurance benefits are distributed to disabled insureds as they are due. 

Selecting Additional Disability Insurance Policy Coverage

Another benefit of buying disability insurance coverage independently is that you can seek out the best options for yourself. This includes additional disability insurance policy coverage that might not be standard or available in a group plan. Since doctors have specialized careers, adding additional disability insurance policy coverage and definitions can open additional pathways to the approval of disability insurance benefits for disabled doctors.

Some disability insurance policies only provide benefits if the disabled insured is unable to perform their own occupation and will deny or terminate disability insurance benefits if the disabled insured is able to perform the duties of other jobs or “any occupation.” As an example, a surgeon may be disabled and unable to perform surgery due to physical limitations of their disability, but their insurance company could deem the surgeon able to conduct research or write reports and therefore deny the surgeon disability insurance benefits. This is problematic as someone cannot be added to a research project on a whim, and report writing may require duties prior to the writing process that the insured cannot complete due to disability. Any occupation definitions put an unreasonable burden on the insured to find alternative employment that may still exceed the limitations of their disability, resulting in frustration that they cannot work in their own profession or in alternative roles due to disability. Seltzer & Associates is dedicated to fighting disability insurance denials and terminations for our clients. 

Another policy for physicians to consider is partial or residual disability insurance coverage. This allows for the insured to attempt a return to work or work in a limited capacity as their disability limitations allow while receiving a partial benefit to offset the income loss. This can be a difficult policy definition to work with your disability insurance company, so working with an experienced disability insurance lawyer to make sure you have the correct proof of disability and correct policy definitions is important. In addition to appealing unfavorable decisions on a disability insurance claim, Seltzer & Associates can handle and maintain your disability insurance claim. 

Contact Us For Your Free Consultation

Seltzer & Associates can help you with your disability insurance claim for a wide range of policy types. Schedule your free consultation by completing our online contact form or calling our office at 888-699-4222.