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Before You Sign Anything: What Docs Need to Know About Disability Insurance, Ep 32

Physician Cents

Release Date: 07/01/2025

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If you’re a freshly minted physician just stepping out of residency or fellowship, the last thing you need is another decision demanding your urgent attention. But there’s a flurry of emails, conversations in hospital cafeterias, and ads in your inbox pushing one message hard: “Get disability insurance now, or else.” It’s intense, it’s relentless, and it’s not the full story.

What’s often left unsaid is that while disability insurance is crucial, potentially one of the most important financial decisions of your early career, you’re not on the clock in the way you’ve been led to believe. The notion that your opportunity to secure discounted coverage vanishes on July 1st? That’s marketing pressure, not reality.

The smarter approach begins by pulling back from the noise and focusing on what actually matters: long-term income protection that aligns with your career and health profile. Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) policies often represent a one-time shot at securing coverage without the scrutiny of traditional underwriting. The problem?

Most physicians are unaware that their program may already offer this, or they’re being steered away by agents who either lack access or prioritize their own commissions. This conversation cuts through the noise, giving you the context, timing, and key signals to watch for, so you can make this choice with the clarity it deserves.

Looking for help with Disability Insurance, Physician Banking, Student Loan Refinancing, Physician Mortgages, Contract Reviews, and more? Check out our "Best of the Best" sponsors page to find a list of the professionals Chad & Tyler team up with for their clients.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • (00:00) Before you sign anything for disability insurance.
  • (01:10) Debunking the July 1st deadline myth.
  • (02:45) How much time you really have and what to do with it.
  • (04:55) Why GSI policies are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
  • (07:00) Common pitfalls and how to avoid bad advice.
  • (09:20) The truth about who controls GSI access (and why it matters).
  • (11:35) Locking in GSI now vs. hoping for second chances later.

Why You’re Being Pressured, and Why You Can Take a Beat

Every year around graduation, there’s a wave of messaging that tries to convince physicians they need to lock in disability insurance immediately or risk losing everything. The emails sound urgent, the reps sound convincing, and the deadline, July 1st, is treated like it’s carved in stone.

But that sense of panic is manufactured. What’s really happening is that disability insurance is both important and profitable, and that combo makes it ripe for pressure tactics. You don’t need to jump the moment someone flashes a discount. Most programs that offer discounts, especially GSI access, give you a runway of 90 to 180 days after graduation.

That’s built-in breathing room. So if you’re just trying to get your feet under you post-training, know that you’re not too late. The people who rush this decision often end up with the wrong coverage, or worse, locked out of better options.

GSI Policies Aren’t Just Nice to Have, They Might Be Your Only Shot

The idea that you can just “upgrade later” or “shop around” doesn’t hold water when it comes to GSI policies. These aren’t something you can casually circle back to once you’ve settled into your attending role. If your training program offers a GSI, that might be the only window in your career to secure disability coverage with zero medical underwriting.

That means no bloodwork, no exams, no questions about your health history, just locked-in coverage based on your job and income potential. And here’s the kicker: a lot of physicians never even hear about these options because their program doesn’t officially publicize them. The access point isn’t the hospital or university; it’s the insurer and its appointed agents.

If you don’t know the right person, you won’t even know what you’re missing. That’s why relying on generic advice, or worse, pressure from someone who doesn’t have access to GSI, is a fast way to lose out on your strongest coverage option.

Smart Strategy Beats Fast Action Every Time

It’s tempting to equate speed with responsibility, especially when you’ve just stepped into the world of attending paychecks and adult-sized decisions. But strategy wins in the long run. Taking time to verify whether your program offers a GSI, learning who has access to it, and comparing your options before signing anything?

That’s what puts you in control. A GSI policy can be your foundation. You can always layer on a traditional policy later if your income or needs change. What matters most is locking in insurability while it’s still on the table. Not because someone told you to do it today, but because you made a calm, informed choice in your best interest.

The best of the best list is a paid sponsorship, but these are professionals/companies that Tyler and Chad collaborate with within their own practices or have been vetted to earn a spot on this list. By supporting our sponsors, it allows Chad & Tyler to dedicate more time to you and the Physician Cents community. If you ever have a question (or not a great experience, which we don’t expect!) about a sponsor, please let us know. We call it the “best of the best” for a reason, and we will maintain that standard for our listeners & viewers.

Resources & People Mentioned

  • Tyler Olson’s advisory firm - https://olsonconsulting.com
  • GSI policy provider - https://www.guardianlife.com
  • GSI policy provider - https://www.standard.com
  • Stephanie Pearson’s insurance team - https://www.physiciandisability.com

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