I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while, but just wanted to put out quick post for those of you who should have already purchased disability insurance but haven’t gotten a policy yet.
Women pay more than men for disability insurance across the board (while men pay more for life insurance). One of the ways many female physicians have been able to avoid paying the tax of higher premiums is by purchasing a “unisex” policy. Recently, that’s been available with only one of the big six insurance companies, Principal. The unisex rate is typically significantly lower than a female-gendered rate, which is the reason why my wife bought a Principal policy several years ago.
Principal is getting rid of their unisex offering on December 31, 2020. If you’re a female attending or a female trainee in your final year of training with a signed employment contract, then you may qualify for a unisex policy. This is the time you want to at least talk to an insurance agent, price out some options, and make sure you don’t lose out on a much cheaper policy.
My internet friends the folks at Pattern are one option to rapidly give you your choices. (You have to buy a policy from an agent, but all agents are paid by the insurance company; policy quotes and information are always free to you). It’s always a good idea to talk to a couple of different agents to make sure you’re getting the best possible rates.