Whether you are heading off for a refreshing vacation getaway, a cross-country trip for the holidays, or an important medical conference, you’ll hear those familiar words as you depart, “Have a safe trip!” We always intend to have a safe journey, but getting injured or becoming seriously ill while traveling can happen to any of us.

Many tools are made to serve only one purpose. For example, you know that a blade is designed to cut. But there are many types of specialized knives, and for the most part, they aren’t meant to do double duty. You wouldn’t use a surgeon’s scalpel to slice vegetables for dinner.

In a similar vein, there are two different types of disability insurance that serve different purposes; for comprehensive protection, you should consider having both.

Your smile is a beautiful thing! Smiling isn’t just a joy to witness - it’s a beneficial action as well. Every time your face breaks into a smile, your body releases dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins - neurotransmitters that can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, make you feel more relaxed, and can even temporarily reduce pain.*

A beautiful smile is made even more so by good oral health! TMA members can smile about the excellent dental benefits that are available from MetLife through TMA Insurance Trust.

Spring has finally arrived, and with it, an increased turnover in rental homes and apartments. Some physicians are moving for employment or may need a change of scenery. Others have college students in the family who will be living in rental housing for the coming school year. Whatever the case, many are thinking of a new place to call home.

Life insurance is a crucial part of an independent physician’s financial safety net. Since you may not have access to an employer benefits package that often includes life insurance, it’s up to you to secure and maintain life insurance coverage that meets the changing needs of your family and your practice.

Like most physicians, you have life insurance. You know that it is a vital part of your financial safety net. Since many hospitals and large medical practices offer group life insurance as an employee benefit, many employed physicians have this type of policy. Signing up for group life insurance takes only a few moments - and sometimes it is an automatic benefit, requiring no input from you as the insured. This employee benefit is almost always provided to employees at no cost or at very low cost. Since obtaining group life insurance is so simple and affordable, it’s easy to see why 46% of all life insurance policies are group policies.

Thanks to medical liability lawsuit reforms that were advocated by the Texas Medical Association in 2003, physicians today have much less to worry about from spurious or overinflated malpractice lawsuits. However, as a physician, you are still facing a potentially devastating risk from a different source. Personal liability lawsuits are commonplace, and your malpractice and business liability insurance does not protect you outside of your professional life. There are several areas where you could be at risk of a personal liability lawsuit.

You as a Texas physician have a great deal to protect, and we at TMA Insurance Trust work hard to help you do so. Recently, we conducted a survey to find out what TMA members’ most common questions were with regard to disability insurance. After we reviewed these questions, we addressed some of the most pressing concerns.