True Own Occ, Specialty Language and Enhanced Medical Occ

True own Occupation disability coverage may not be enough for certain medical and dental professionals.  Guardian offers high quality definitions of total disability than true own occupation alone.   To further enhance the true own occupation language we add either specialty language or enhanced medical specialty language.  These definitions of total disability can help ensure that you have the utmost protection in your time of need.  Yes, the definitions of disability and the base policy provisions are that good, and provide the most freedom for those unfortunate situations where there is a claim.

True Own Occupation with Specialty Language is available to dentists, and medical occupations (3M-6M) if the insured selects the graded lifetime disability benefit rider, or does not select a partial disability benefit rider.  This language adds the following language to True Own Occupation: “If you have limited Your Occupation to the performance of the material and substantial duties of a single medical specialty or a single dental specialty, We will deem that specialty to be Your Occupation.”

Enhanced Medical Occupation:  In addition, medical occupations (not dental occupations) are able to obtain an even better definition of disability than specialty own occ noted above. The below enhanced definition of disability is available to all medical occupations who don't have the graded lifetime disability benefit rider and have selected a partial rider. This adds the following to the True Own occupation Definition of disability: 

Enhancement for Doctors Performing Surgical Procedures: 

If Your Occupation is limited to a Medical Doctor (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) and more than 50% of Income is earned from performing Surgical Procedures, We will consider You to be Totally Disabled even if You are Gainfully Employed in Your practice or another occupation so long as, solely due to Injury or Sickness, You are not able to perform Surgical Procedures.

If 50% or less of Income is earned from performing Surgical Procedures, We will consider You to be Totally Disabled if You satisfy the definition of Total Disability above.

Surgical Procedures means the medical interventions involving an incision with instruments, performed by You in a clinical or hospital setting, normally involving anesthesia and/or respiratory assistance, that You regularly perform during the 12 months prior to Your Disability.  These procedures can be performed on either an inpatient or an outpatient basis.  Providing injections, in itself, is not a Surgical Procedure. 

Enhancement for Doctors Providing Hands-on Patient Care:

If Your Occupation is limited to a Medical Doctor (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) and more than 50% of Income is earned from providing Hands-On Patient Care, We will consider You to be Totally Disabled even if You are Gainfully Employed in Your practice or another occupation so long as, solely due to Injury or Sickness, You are not able to provide Hands-on Patient Care.

If 50% or less of Income is earned from performing Hands-on Patient Care, We will consider You to be Totally Disabled if You satisfy the definition of Total Disability above

Hands-on Patient Care means meeting with a patient in a clinical setting for the purpose of providing medical advice, evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment, that You regularly and personally provide during the 12 months prior to Your Disability.

If you have limited Your Occupation to the performance of the material and substantial duties of a single medical specialty, We will deem that specialty to be Your Own Occupation. 

For more information on this new definition please visit the Provider Choice page