Physicians & Surgeons - High Limit Disability Insurance

Most people insure their material possessions — their homes and cars, for example. But many people don't insure what is probably their most valuable asset — their ability to work and earn income. If a person becomes sick or injured and can't work, will that person be able to pay bills and maintain the same or similar standard of living?

64% of wage earners believe they have a 2% or less chance of becoming disabled for three months or more during their working career.¹ Statistical data paints a much different picture - just over 25% of today's 20 year olds will become disabled before they retire.²

1) Council for Disability Awareness, Disability Divide Consumer Disability Awareness Study, 2010
2) U.S. Social Security Administration, Fact Sheet February 7, 2013

Every income earner needs disability income insurance. Disability insurance can help pay bills by replacing a portion of lost income. It can help maintain a lifestyle, help protect the insured and their family from needing to liquidate hard earned assets or falling into serious debt.

Individual disability insurance pays the insured benefits if they cannot work due to an injury or illness. Some policies pay partial benefits if they are only able to work parttime. Disability insurance generally provides replacement of 65% to 75% of income depending on the taxability of the benefits.

The Physicians & Surgeons High Limit Disability Plan was developed specifically to meet the needs of these high-income earners.

As incomes increase, the issue and participation limits of traditional disability insurance carriers begin to decrease. To properly insure a highly compensated individual at 65% of income, multiple disability income policies are often required and are layered or "tiered" to provide sufficient income protection.

The following scenarios illustrate the various ways income protection policies can be tiered in order to provide an individual with 65% coverage of monthly income. The Physicians & Surgeons Plan is designed to supplement the existing disability coverage or provide the entire 65% benefit if the client is unable to obtain any underlying insurance.

Tiered Approach to Income Protection

After a lifelong commitment becoming a licensed physician, it then takes an additional three to five years of training in order to obtain a board certification in a specialty field of practice.

When an individual is so highly trained, they are required to preform at the highest level of quality on a daily basis. With so much at risk, it is important to find protection against disablement.

The Physicians & Surgeons High Limit Disability Plan has been tailored to properly insure these highly trained and highly skilled individuals against the perils of disability and the premature termination of a successful career.

Our definition of total disability is a true "own occupation" definition. Total disability means that solely due to sickness or an injury, you are not able to perform the substantial and material duties of your occupation, even if you are at work in another occupation.

Your occupation means the occupation (or occupations, if more than one) in which you are gainfully employed for the majority of the time during the 12 months prior to the time you become disabled. If you have limited your occupation to the performance of the substantial and material duties of a single specialty, we will deem that specialty to be your occupation provided that your industry widely recognizes that occupation as a specialty.

Our definition of disability has purposefully been designed to allow an individual who is receiving disability benefits to continue to collect benefits and simultaneously be employed in another occupation. For example, a surgeon who is no longer able to perform surgery and is deemed to be disabled, may receive benefits while continuing to work as a professor of medicine.

Monthly Benefits

Monthly benefits will commence following the elimination period and will be paid for as long as the total disability continues, but no longer than the benefit period. In the event of multiple separate claims, each claim will have a full benefit period eligibility.

Lump Sum Benefit

A lump sum payment will be paid if the insured person is permanently totally disabled. This benefit is often thought of as the career ending benefit to recoup the loss of future earnings. Benefits can be up to ten times annual income.

Residual Rider

In some cases, an illness or injury does not cause a total disability, but it can limit your ability to work which can lead to a decrease in income. The optional Residual Rider will pay a monthly benefit if your income is reduced by at least 15% due to an accident or illness. If income is reduced by at least 80%, then the full monthly benefit will be payable.

Cost of Living Adjustment Rider

Monthly benefits are a fixed amount which over time, reduces the value due to inflation. The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Rider helps offset the losses due to inflation by increasing the monthly benefits. On each anniversary, the monthly benefit amount will be adjusted based on the Consumer Price Index. Benefits can increase up to 10% per year.

Presumptive Disability

If due to a sickness or injury you have totally lost: the use of both hands, or both feet, or one hand and one foot, or the sight of both eyes, or the hearing of both ears, or the ability to speak. The elimination period will be waived. The monthly benefit will be paid for the entire benefit period or as long as the loss exists.

Rehabilitation Benefit

We may offer financial assistance for a rehabilitation program if we are paying benefits under this policy and if we approve the program in advance. The terms of a rehabilitation program, related expenses and total disability benefits during this program, will be subject to mutual agreement.

Survivorship Benefit

If at the time of death you were receiving monthly benefits, we will pay a survivorship benefit equal to three times the monthly benefit.

Transplant Benefit

If you donate an organ after the policy has been in force for at least six months, any total disability resulting from the surgery will be considered an illness.

Recurrent Disabilities

If after a period a total disability you return fulltime to work and within six months you are once again totally disabled, you can elect to continue the previous claim without the need for a new elimination period or choose to have a new elimination/benefit period. Once a period of six months has elapsed from returning to work, any new claim will have a new elimination and benefit period.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Phone: 818-318-3031
Website: nee.brokersnexus.com

This is not intended to be a complete outline of coverage. Actual wording may change without notice. Underwriters reserve the right to modify terms and conditions at time of underwriting.

Version: 04/15/2014