Limitations of Medical Society Disability Insurance Plans
- Nisha Mehta, MD
- Dec 17, 2025
- 8 min read
We often get questions in our online doctor’s lounge about purchasing disability insurance policies from a medical society where a doctor is a member. While on the surface, this may seem like a member benefit and perk, it’s important to be aware of the weaknesses of these group plans, as they can compromise the financial security you’ve worked so hard to build. Below, we dive deeper into if doctors should get disability insurance through their medical society group plan, the disadvantages of these types of plans, when these plans can make sense, and what alternative most doctors should consider.
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Should I buy disability insurance through a medical society?
Disadvantages to group disability policies through professional associations or societies
Individual true own-occupation disability insurance: the better fit for most doctors
Where can I get an own-occupation disability insurance policy?
When should I consider buying disability insurance through my medical society?
Should I buy disability insurance through a medical society?
The TL:DR is that the majority of physicians who can qualify for disability insurance through the conventional route of using a disability insurance broker are better off purchasing disability insurance on their own. While there are some cases where purchasing through your society may be the best option, on the whole, the plans through professional societies generally offer less optimal coverage, flexibility, and guarantees. Let’s look into why these policies are typically inferior to getting an individual policy in more detail.
Disadvantages to group disability policies through professional associations or societies
There are a few key disadvantages to society plans doctors should understand.
Coverage under a group plan can be canceled at any time
Group plans through a medical society are typically not guaranteed renewable. Since the plan is administered through the society, they have the ability to change the terms of their agreement with the insurance carrier. For example, the benefit amount under the policy may not be guaranteed and may change.
In addition, the medical society may choose to switch vendors or stop offering this benefit, or you may lose your coverage under the policy if you end your membership with the medical society that offers the plan.
While you may be able to shop around for an individual policy at that time, there’s a chance you may not qualify for coverage in the future, and rates may be much more expensive than what you could lock in now secondary to younger age, trainee discounts, or better health.
Related PSG resource:
Costs for premiums under society plans aren’t locked in
Speaking of rates increasing, this is another disadvantage to group plans offered by medical societies: the premium rates for most of these plans aren’t guaranteed. If you read the fine print, many will say things like ‘rates guaranteed for the first year only.’
Since you are being grouped in to a plan alongside others, the actuarial calculations within the group can vary and the disability insurance company may elect to make changes. Rates can increase with factors such as average age and claims against the policy, or even the society’s relationship with the insurer. While your rates will only change if everyone else does, it can introduce another x factor in how much you can expect to pay for disability insurance.
Importantly, many society plans have associated age bracket related premiums, with the costs changing (read: increasing) every time you enter a new age bracket. These rates can really soar as you get older, and make the disability insurance less and less worth it.
As such, while society plans can look cheaper initially when you’re buying at a young age, this is not often the case if you compare the lifetime cost of the policy.
Not only can your costs increase under a society plan, but if you need to replace a society plan with an individual plan in the future, you’ll pay more for that individual plan than you would now, or your health/age may preclude you from qualifying for an outside plan at a reasonable price, if at all.
Society disability insurance plans may lack true own occupation coverage
Own occupation offers the widest definition of disability and thus is the most comprehensive coverage for long-term disability benefits. For most physicians, own occupation coverage is the best option, as these policies pay out when you can’t do the job that you were doing prior to disability, regardless of what other work you may be able to perform.
Society plans are not always true own occupation coverage. They can offer modified or incomplete (such as transitional own occupation) versions of own occupation coverage that have stricter limitations to the definition of disability and when you’re eligible for benefits under your coverage. For example, you may have to be fully disabled before you can collect benefits, and/or you may not receive benefits if you’re able to work any job, even if it pays less than your current specialty and isn’t related to your expertise at all. This can result in a huge decrease in income without benefits to help cover the gap.
Related PSG resource:
Society plans aren’t as customizable
Coverage through a professional association is usually one-size-fits-all coverage. These plans often offer minimal, if any, flexibility. This can include a set benefit amount and length and a lack of disability insurance riders that doctors often add to their policies.
Some select riders may be offered, such as a cost-of-living rider or future increase option, but can be capped or limited if so. A cost of living adjustment, for example, may be capped with a maximum increase both annually and overall compared to your original monthly benefit, which means your benefits may lose purchasing power versus inflation over time.
A future increase rider may also be capped with the amount per month you can increase your benefit amount by, with a set maximum benefit amount where you are no longer eligible to exercise the future increase option.
Related PSG resource:
Claims for benefits and benefit amounts can be limited
As we touched upon above, coverages and benefits can be limited under these group plans. They may only pay out for a certain number of years without giving you the option to customize this length of time. They can also have higher restrictions for benefits eligibility for certain types of disability, such as limited coverage for mental disorders, etc. Maximum amounts of payout may also be different, or certain options, like recovery benefits or the ability to claim disability for the same or related disability within a certain period of time without having to go through the waiting period again, may not be an option.
Individual true own-occupation disability insurance: the better fit for most doctors
Securing your own individual disability insurance policy that is a true “own occupation” policy is often the best fit for doctors as, unlike society plans, they can offer:
The broadest coverage
Customization, including benefit amount, benefit length, and optional riders
Locked in rates
Guaranteed renewability
Potentials for discounts through an independent insurance broker
Where can I get an own-occupation disability insurance policy?
There are only about five major carriers who offer true own occupation plans, and pricing for the same coverage can vary from carrier to carrier. We recommend working with an independent insurance broker who can help you shop options across all the major carriers to find the best fit at the best rate.
If you need an insurance broker, thousands of our members have used and said positive things about our sponsors at:
Pattern: This convenient option will allow you to enter your information and immediately begin generating quotes from the major disability companies, as well as schedule a meeting with the Pattern team to discuss the options and figure out which plan is best for you. Many in the group have had a great experience with this process. Contact them here.
Moment Insurance: Complete your quote inquiry information in less than five minutes and easily schedule an appointment to speak with a dedicated, experienced disability insurance expert who will walk you through the process from start to finish and help you compare different options. Many in the group have worked with their experts previously, and had a great experience! Contact them here.
PolicyGenius: This is not a physician specific company, but well known in the insurance space. They may be a helpful resource if you are looking for another place for quotes. Make sure that you're comparing apples to apples in terms of true own occupation insurance, as not all fields emphasize the need for this equally. Contact them here.
When should I consider buying disability insurance through my medical society?
While individual true own occupation disability insurance seems to be the most reliable and customizable option for most physicians, there are circumstances where a society plan may make sense and doctors should consider them.
One of the features of these group plans can be that they have limited medical underwriting. This can benefit physicians who:
Have chronic health conditions or major pre-existing conditions that an insurance broker has advised will cause a denial
Were previously denied by an insurer
Were given heavy exclusions without much coverage through an individual plan
Some disability insurance coverage is typically better than none. If you’re unable to secure an individual plan, it can definitely be worth looking into your medical society’s options.
Conclusion
Society sponsored plans may offer lower upfront premiums, which can feel like a great member perk, but it’s important to understand why this is the case and what you lose out on. Society plans often don’t offer the same reliability since they aren’t guaranteed renewable and premiums may change, or they can actually state upfront that they get more expensive over time. Additionally, they’re less customizable than your own plans, further limiting what you may be able to qualify for with a conventional own occupation policy obtained on the individual level. In short, a society plan may end up ultimately costing you more than an individual plan for inferior coverage. For most doctors, an individual own occupation disability policy is usually a better option, as it provides better coverage and locks in premium rates, with guaranteed renewal options. If you’re ineligible for an individual plan, a society plan can be an option to consider, especially if it has limited medical underwriting requirements.
Additional disability insurance resources for physicians
Related PSG resources:
Guide to buying life and disability insurance during residency & fellowship
How much disability insurance benefit do I need as a doctor?
Common reasons doctors mistakenly don’t get disability insurance
Do I need to buy my own DI policy if my employer offers one?
When to consider dropping or modifying your disability insurance coverage
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