Disability Insurance
Individual disability insurance for physicians, attorneys, engineers, and other high-income professionals. We compare policies from the up to five carriers that actually write specialty-specific coverage and walk you through the language that matters before you sign anything.
The basics, without the jargon
Disability insurance replaces a portion of your income if illness or injury keeps you from working. For most professionals, that means a monthly benefit equal to roughly 50 to 60 percent of your earned income, paid for as long as the disability continues or until the policy’s benefit period ends.
It exists because the financial math of a long-term disability is brutal. Your chances of being out of work for ninety days or more at some point in your career are significantly higher than your chances of dying prematurely. Modern medicine treats many conditions that used to be fatal, which is good news for your life expectancy and bad news for your need to keep paying the mortgage while you recover.
A well-built individual disability policy is the thing that keeps the rest of your financial plan intact when that happens.
A common misconception
Most high-income professionals have some form of group long-term disability through an employer. That coverage is a starting point. It is almost never a finish line. Side by side, the differences add up quickly.
(through your employer)
(Through an Individual Policy)
Usually, base salary only. Bonus, partnership distributions, and production income are often excluded.
Full earned income, including bonus and incentive pay.
Typically, 60% of base salary, up to a monthly maximum.
Up to 60–70% of total income, often higher with supplemental layering with an individual policy.
Taxable when the employer pays the premium. A 60% benefit can land closer to 40% after tax.
Tax-free when you pay the premium with after-tax dollars.
Most times "own-occupation" for the first 2–3 years, then quietly shifts to "any-occupation."
True own-occupation, locked in for the life of the policy. Specialty-specific available.
Ends when the job ends. Does not move with you.
Yours to keep through job changes, leaves, and self-employment.
Carrier can change rates or terms.
Non-cancelable and guaranteed renewable. Locked in.
Group-based. Limited or no medical questions.
Individually underwritten. Locks in your current health and age.
An individual policy sits on top of whatever you have at work. The two are designed to layer, not to compete.
What's inside a policy
Disability policies are built from riders, and the riders are where the value lives. Carriers use slightly different names and terms for the same features, which makes side-by-side comparisons harder than they should be. These are the seven things worth understanding before you sign anything.
Pays your benefit when illness or injury keeps you from performing the main duties of your usual occupation, even if you choose to work in a different field. A surgeon who can no longer operate can move into consulting or teaching and still collect the full policy benefit alongside their new salary. The most important rider in the policy.
Lets you raise your monthly benefit as your income grows, without new medical underwriting. Essential for anyone whose income will scale meaningfully over time, including residents, associates, and any professional on a rising career track.
Increases your monthly benefit each year during a long claim to keep pace with inflation. Typically compounds at around 3 percent annually and kicks in after 12 months of continuous disability.
Pays a benefit when illness or injury reduces your capacity to work by at least 15 percent, even if you can still work part-time or in a limited role. More partial claims are paid every year than total claims.
Adds a second layer of benefit on top of your monthly amount in the most severe cases, specifically when a disability prevents you from performing at least two of the six Activities of Daily Living, or when it results in a severe cognitive impairment.
Automatically increases your benefit each year by 3 or 4 percent, without requiring medical or financial underwriting. Different from the Future Increase Option in that the enhancement is automatic and cannot be triggered while you're on claim.
Provides a separate monthly benefit specifically to cover student loan payments while you're totally disabled. Especially relevant for physicians, dentists, and attorneys with significant residual educational debt.
Not every policy needs every rider. The right combination depends on your age, occupation, income structure, and existing coverage. We walk through each one with you before you decide what to include.
Locking in coverage and training discounts before they expire.
Employees at companies with PKA's exclusive group discount agreements.
We pull quotes from every carrier and put them side by side.
We walk through the options on a call, explain the riders that matter, and answer questions.
When you're ready to apply, we will guide you through the process. Most policies are placed in as little as one to three weeks.
A free call with a real broker. No scripts, no junior reps, no pressure.
