Why is Guardian's Provider Choice¹ One of the Best Choices for Dermatologists?

You are a specialist and have spent many years and a bunch of money to obtain your medical specialty. Guardian¹ has one of the most comprehensive disability insurance for dermatologists in the industry today - no other company currently offers you better protection, especially with your specialty. Guardian has been offering physicians true own-occupation disability protection for several decades, and in that time, they've become a market leader. Today over half of their business is sold to physicians across the country, and the Provider Choice policy was built specifically with physicians in mind.

What is so Special for Physicians?

The very core of any disability insurance policy is the definition of total disability, that definition dictates when you collect your total monthly benefit, and when you do not. Guardian's True Own-Occupation definition of total disability provides you the ability to receive your full benefits, even if you are gainfully employed in another occupation, with no reduction in benefits. So if you are able to pursue another occupation while totally disabled in your occupation, Guardian does not prevent you from doing so.

It is also important to have language in your policy that protects you down to your medical specialty level. The ProVider Choice policy states that they will look at your key duties, including those you were performing in your medical specialty at the time your disability began, to assess whether you qualify.

It Gets Even Better!

Some of the strongest, most flexible protection a dermatologist can get - this is not available anywhere else in the industry!

In addition to the True Own-Occupation definition of total disability, Guardian adds the following language to make sure you get the benefits you need. They will consider you totally disabled if more than 50% of your income is from;

• Hands-on patient care and, solely because of sickness or injury, you can no longer perform hands-on patient care; or
   
• Performing surgical procedures and, solely because of injury or illness, you can no longer perform surgical procedures.
   

If you don't qualify for benefits under the source-of-earnings formula above, then they will look at your key duties, including those you were performing in your medical specialty at the time your disability began, to assess whether you qualify.

Special Programs for New Dermatologists

Guardian knows that dermatology is one of the most competitive residencies to obtain and that your income is going to grow in the near future. Everything you have now and everything you hope to have in the future is depending on your continued ability to earn that income. They offer two special options for new dermatologists so that you have the ability to lock-in a higher disability insurance benefit now, and also lock in your insurability so that you can purchase more in the future as your earnings grow regardless of any adverse changes to your health.

• Residency - You can purchase any monthly benefit up to $5,000 without any proof of income required. We normally set these policies up with something called a Graded Premium so that the costs are much lower during your residency, and then you convert it to a level premium once you are done with your training.

Other Product Features & Options

Student Loan Protection - Your personal disability insurance policy is designed to maintain your current standard of living during sickness or injury, you should not have to take a large portion of that benefit and use it to pay off your medical school debt. Generally, you cannot even discharge your student loan debt in bankruptcy. This optional rider reimbursed you for your student loan payments, no matter how many you have up to $2,500 a month for the benefit period (10 or 15 years) you chose for this rider.

Serious Illness Supplement Benefit Endorsement - 90% of all long-term claims are illness-related, and some of the leading causes are cancer, stroke, and heart disease. This feature pays an additional 50% of your monthly benefit above and beyond your normal monthly benefit for the first 12 months of the policy if you are disabled because of cancer, stroke, or heart disease.

Enhanced Partial Disability Benefit Rider - You are buying disability insurance to protect your income now and your lifetime earnings potential. The Enhanced Partial Disability Benefit Rider does not require a loss of time or duties to pay a partial claim, so this means the rider allows a recovery benefit to be payable until the end of the benefit period. Our competitors who do require a loss of time or duties stop paying a partial benefit when you return to full-time work and may limit their recovery benefits. The Enhanced Partial Disability Benefit Rider continues to pay you until you financially recover, not just until you physically recover.

1Individual disability income products underwritten and issued by Berkshire Life Insurance Company of America (BLICOA), Pittsfield, MA. BLICOA is a wholly-owned stock subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), New York, NY. Product provisions and availability may vary by state.