Short answer
Work with someone who specializes in physician disability insurance and can offer both GSI and medically underwritten policies. Then watch for three red flags: a one-page grid comparing several companies' policies, no pre-screening of your health history, and pricing that seems too good to be true.
A short clip from his webinar for residents and fellows, with captions.
Watch the full webinar from 12:23Red flag 1: the one-page comparison grid
It takes an insurance company 60 or 80 pages to properly present a policy. Comparing five policies from five companies on one page isn't possible. These grids are often full of incorrect and misleading information, and I've never seen one approved by the insurance companies. If you're shown one, thank that person for their time and find someone else.
Red flag 2: no pre-screening
Whether a GSI or a medically underwritten policy gives you the widest coverage depends on what's in your medical records. That means having an uncomfortable conversation about your medical, family and hazardous-activity history. Very few insurance professionals properly pre-screen residents and fellows before pointing them to a policy.
Red flag 3: pricing that seems too good to be true
It likely is. Policies don't all cost the same, but an extreme outlier usually means something's been left out: features gutted, or pricing shown that isn't guaranteed.
Find a specialist
Physician disability insurance is a niche. There are thousands of insurance professionals, but very few whose primary line of business is disability insurance for medical students and residents. Whether you work with me or someone else, stick with someone who specializes in it.
Where Jay covers this
Jump to each moment in his webinars.