Insurance
for Physicians
Own-occupation disability insurance, carrier reviews, life insurance by career stage, and malpractice and tail coverage.
Your ability to practice is your largest financial asset, and insurance is how you protect it. The policy details that matter most, like the definition of disability or whether a malpractice policy needs tail coverage, are easy to miss and hard to fix later.
These guides explain own-occupation disability insurance and the policy definitions behind it, compare carriers, cover how much life insurance you need at each career stage, and explain malpractice coverage, including claims-made policies and tail coverage.
Start here
- 1Insurance 101 for PhysiciansWhich policies you need, and in what order.
- 2Own-Occupation vs. Any-Occupation DisabilityThe definition that decides whether a policy pays.
- 3How Much Disability Insurance You NeedSizing your benefit to your income and expenses.
- 4Group vs. Individual Disability InsuranceWhy employer coverage alone often falls short.
- 5Residual Disability InsuranceCoverage for a partial loss of income, not just total disability.
- 6Term Life Insurance by Career StageHow much to buy and for how long.
- 7Claims-Made vs. Occurrence MalpracticeThe policy type that decides whether you need a tail.
- 8Tail Coverage ExplainedWhat it costs and who should pay for it.
All insurance guides
Health Insurance for 1099 Physicians (2026)
Marketplace plans after the enhanced subsidies ended, a spouse's plan, COBRA, the self-employed health insurance deduction and the S-corp rule, HSAs, ICHRA, and why short-term plans and sharing ministries fall short.
Open Enrollment for Physicians (2027)
HDHP and HSA vs. PPO with 2027 HSA limits, 403(b) and 457(b) elections, group disability and life, the $7,500 dependent care FSA, and a checklist for this fall.
How Much Does Tail Coverage Cost? (2026)
Tail is priced as a multiple of your final malpractice premium. The carriers’ own pricing statements, AMA-published premiums for eight markets, the arithmetic, and when the tail is free.
Ohio National Disability Insurance: Can You Still Buy It?
Ohio National is now AuguStar and no longer lists disability insurance among its products. What it means if you’re shopping or already own a policy.
Ameritas Disability Insurance Review for Physicians (2026)
Ameritas DInamic Cornerstone from its own guides: three own-occupation options, a 15% residual rider, full-period mental health coverage, and resident offers.
MassMutual Disability Insurance Review for Physicians (2026)
MassMutual Radius Choice from its own product summary: an own-occupation rider you need, a 15% partial rider, and a removable 24-month mental health limit.
Term Life Insurance for Physicians (2026): How Much You Actually Need, What Length to Buy, and the Best Carriers by Career Stage
How much term life insurance physicians need, what length to buy, the best carriers, and how laddering trims premiums as needs shrink. By career stage.
Guardian vs. Principal Disability Insurance for Physicians (2026)
Guardian and Principal compared on what each publishes: the own-occupation definition, partial disability, resident offers, and AM Best ratings.
Physician Maternity Leave and Short-Term Disability (2026)
The real math behind '60% of salary', how FMLA and STD actually work for doctors, and what to negotiate in your contract.
Physician Asset Protection (2026): Six Layers and the State Laws Behind Them
Umbrella limits, LLC charging orders, tenancy by the entirety, and the IRA and homestead exemptions in each state, with the statutes, for physicians facing lawsuit risk.
Surgeon Malpractice Insurance Cost (2026): Why Surgeons Pay Roughly Three to Five Times What Internists Do
Surgeon vs. internist premiums in eight markets, claim rates for the surgical specialties the premium survey leaves out, and what the premium is worth in a job offer.
Malpractice Insurance for Physicians: Claims-Made vs. Occurrence (2026)
The most consequential decision in physician malpractice insurance is whether your policy is claims-made or occurrence. Learn how to avoid tail coverage traps.
How Much Disability Insurance Does a Physician Need? (2026 Guide)
The most common disability insurance mistake physicians make is not skipping it entirely — it is buying the wrong amount. This guide explains exactly how to calculate the right disability insurance benefit amount for your specific situation.
Principal Disability Insurance Review for Physicians (2026)
Principal Income Protector from Principal’s own pages: true own-occupation option, enhanced residual, Series 700 limits and discounts, and what it doesn’t publish.
Guardian Disability Insurance Review for Physicians (2026)
Guardian’s physician policy from its own pages: the Enhanced True Own-Occupation income test, a 15% partial disability rider, and an $8,000 resident offer.
Tail Coverage Explained: What It Costs and When Physicians Need It (2026)
Everything physicians need to know about malpractice tail coverage in 2026, including average costs by specialty, who pays, and how to negotiate it in your contract.
Residual Disability Insurance
Protection for when you can still work, but lose income due to illness.
Group vs. Individual Disability
Why your employer's group policy isn't enough protection.
Own-Occupation vs. Any-Occupation Disability Insurance
The four definitions of disability, the weaker “not working” wording, and what five carriers put in their policies.
Insurance 101 for Physicians
Disability, Life, Malpractice, and Umbrella. What you need and what to avoid.
Best Life Insurance for Physicians (2026)
A Doctor's Guide to Getting It Right: term versus whole life, coverage needs, and top carriers.