Serious, critical - two words that no one wants to hear associated with illness. Being the one to care for the needs of patients daily can contribute to physicians having a blindspot when it comes to their own health. Taking a step back and considering what you would do if you were the patient is necessary because no physician is immune to a sudden, serious illness.

TMA Insurance Trust was created by physicians for physicians. We know firsthand that this is something physicians can lose sight of. The physical and emotional toll a critical illness can take on you and your family can be devastating. If you’re not prepared ahead of time, the financial impact could be devastating too.

No one wants to think about the possibility of becoming disabled – until the unthinkable happens. It might be a sudden injury, or an unanticipated illness. But regrettably it can happen to anyone, physicians included.

And if that injury or illness prevented you from working, you would likely find that your income would quickly diminish and your finances could be seriously threatened. Would you be prepared for that?

An accident, by its very nature, will always take you by surprise. Help keep any high, out-of-pocket “financial surprises” resulting from an accident to a minimum with the TMA Member Accident Insurance Plan issued by the Prudential Insurance Company of America.

Have you been missing visits to your dentist? If so, it’s not surprising. You work long hours. Your schedule can be packed. Plus, the cost of a routine exam with a full set of x-rays can seem expensive – as it seems the cost of almost everything continues to rise.

But skipping regular visits to the dentist can have a negative impact – not just on oral health, but on your overall health as well.

Time is almost up. During Open Enrollment, practice owners and independent physicians have access to special options that could help them fight rising health insurance premium costs while securing better coverage. Two special waivers are helping many to qualify for group health insurance even if they don’t have employees and even if they only want group coverage for themselves and their family.

These waivers expire in two weeks, now is the time to see if you qualify. This may be the last year these options are available.

Doing the same thing the same way can sometimes be beneficial. As a physician, you have protocols of care that you follow for particular illnesses and diseases. But if a new, better form of treatment became available, would you dismiss it, or would you investigate its usefulness to your patients?

Are you feeling “sticker shock” over the price of group health insurance for your practice this year? If you have to pay more, let’s make sure every dollar counts and that you’re getting the most comprehensive health insurance possible for yourself and your practice. Here’s how TMA Insurance Trust is advocating for practice owners during Open Enrollment.