As appreciation and understanding of individual disability insurance (IDI) increases, people have also begun talking about long term policy as their main cover. That’s understandable but one needs to look deeper into all the types of disability cover that are available because no single policy can provide adequate or optimum cover at all times. This is where you need to consider the usefulness of a group short term disability cover. There could be situations where your group short term policy will prove more useful than your long term policy and even ensure better utilization of your money.
Most medical school graduates get a complimentary short term physicians disability insurance from their employers and that continues for as long as they work with that particular employer. Here, it is important to remember that you graduate from a medical school with a huge debt that is said to average around $200,000. So, there’s no way you can bypass a long term IDI policy as your main cover. This doesn’t mean that your short term policy is of no use. Rest assured that it will also be more useful than your long term policy in certain situations.
Manage elimination period at claim time more easily
One distinguishing feature of insurance cover against disability is known as the elimination period. It is basically the period between the time a claim is registered and the time when the benefits begin to roll out. In a long term policy, it can be as long as 3 months but in a short term policy, it’s not more than 15 days.
Young doctors who have just joined service or have been in service for just a few years have their student loan repayments to worry about. Bearing that debt load from your pocket for 3 months along with other bills can be quite difficult. That’s where a group short term doctors disability insurance policy can solve your problem.
A cheaper and smarter way to tackle short term disability
The cost of getting a good long term disability cover won’t exceed 3% of your income unless in exceptional and rare cases. A group short term disability policy provided by your employer is the most economical investment you can make in getting a disability cover.
If the disability is for a short duration of up to 6 months your short term policy will be helpful in limiting the benefit amount you would require from your long term policy, if at all. The lesser claim you have over your long term healthcare professionals disability insurance policy the more optimum it becomes in terms of cost.
A short term policy cannot be your only cover against disability
You need to remember that it is your long term IDI policy that is going to be your main shield against the risk of disability. That’s because the average duration of disability in the United States is over 31 months, which is 5 times longer than what a short term policy can offer.
Therefore, you should never just rely on a group short term policy for cover against disability. More importantly, look for an insurance carrier like MGIS, which specializes in providing optimum disability coverage to healthcare professionals with tailored solutions. Please visit https://www.mgis.com for more information.