According to statistics, illness is the cause of 90% of all disabilities with 10% due to injuries.* As a physician in private practice, you’re responsible for purchasing your own disability coverage. If you become disabled, you’ll need enough personal disability income to pay out-of-pocket medical costs and living expenses, while also covering your share of the business overhead expenses.
As Texans, we treasure our independence, and it shows. In Texas, 63% of physicians are independent, either in a solo or small practice of no more than three physicians. But as the saying goes, ‘responsibility is the price of freedom.’ The burden of financial responsibility can be a heavy one for physicians, especially independent or solo practitioners.
We value the life-saving work you do and understand that practicing medicine isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life - one that impacts you and everyone in your life. That’s why TMA Insurance Trust is continually looking for new ways to support member physicians and their families.
As a physician, your income puts you in the top 5% of all Americans. Your earning potential makes you a target for every financial advisor and insurance agent in the business. However, not all advisors have your best interests at heart. Insurance advisors do not take a Hippocratic oath and even many well-intentioned agents do not understand the unique needs of physicians. As a result, some physicians end up without enough coverage in the areas they really need and too much of the types they don’t need. How can you be sure if an agent is recommending what is really best for you?
Teenagers and college grads expect to “have it all together” by their 30s. It’s ok to be a kid in your 20s — even in med school — but when the infamous 3-0 rolls around, it’s time to focus on building a solid foundation, climbing the ladder, and settling down to start a family.
Physicians are among the highest earners, but many don’t feel like it. Having already managed large debt burdens on compressed budgets by the time they pay off their student loans and build up to a sizeable income, many physicians learn the value of setting financial goals and seeking professional advice early on.
There’s an old episode of “The X-Files” in which insurance salesman Clyde Bruckman, played by Peter Boyle of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” sits with a young couple at their kitchen table trying to sell them an insurance policy.
When unwanted illness or injury keeps you from practicing medicine for months or years at a time, a long-term disability insurance policy is designed to provide a benefit while you are unable to work.
