As a dental student, you have a promising career ahead of you. But what happens if you must leave school due to an injury or illness and your studies are delayed or halted entirely?
Here, we will explore disability income insurance options for dental students and how to determine what options can help protect your future.
So, can disability income insurance cover living expenses for sick or injured dental students? The answer is yes, but it depends entirely on your elected coverage.
Many components of a disability income insurance policy will be the same whether you are a student, resident, or practitioner.
Even if your school does provide disability income insurance options, you may want to consider obtaining an individual policy from a different insurance provider who can help tailor your coverage to safeguard your financial future against unforeseen illness or injury.
Even if your absence from school is temporary, you may still receive benefits until you can return to school, depending on the components of your policy.
However, a basic policy, such as one provided through your dental school or other organizations, may not have these options included in your coverage details.
Since your health and age play a role in obtaining a policy, an individual policy is something to consider while you are still a student.
As you look at any coverage you already have and determine what coverage you may need, consider these common policy details:
If your policy is non-cancelable and guaranteed renewable, the insurer cannot change or cancel your policy’s terms. An exception would be if you did not pay your premiums on time.
There are two types of premiums that you may find within your disability income insurance policy.
Level premiums provide consistent premium pricing from the time your policy begins until age 65. If coverage is increased, the cost for the new coverage will be added to your original cost.
Graded Premiums begin with a lower premium cost and increase annually. Graded premiums can be changed to level premiums in the future when they typically can be more easily afforded.
A rider is an enhancement to an insurance policy. When considering disability income insurance coverage as a dental student, adding riders as a supplement to your policy can help fit your coverage to your needs.
Keep in mind that riders are usually available at an additional cost, and individuals may choose different riders to match their specific circumstances.
Some riders that may be available depending on the insurance company include:
A cost of living rider can help protect your benefits against inflation. Although there are many variations, a rider with a compound inflation feature may be suitable for dental students looking to secure their financial future should they become disabled and unable to work earlier on in their careers.
A future insurability option rider can guarantee that you have the option to purchase coverage in the future without having to provide medical information. While you would still need to qualify financially, your ability to extend your coverage as you grow your career would no longer be dependent on your health.
While you are in school, you have several factors working to your advantage: you are younger and presumably healthier. This is the ideal time to consider disability income insurance options that may help protect your financial future.
Our Disability Income Insurance Guide can help you identify the nuances of individual policies to determine the coverage you may need for when you may need it.
To learn more, download your complimentary guide.
Treloar & Heisel, an EPIC Company, is a premier financial services provider to dental and medical professionals across the country. We assist thousands of clients from residency to practice and through retirement with a comprehensive suite of financial services, custom-tailored advice, and a strong national network focused on delivering the highest level of service.