Insurance Plan
Disability income coverage through the Disability Income Protection Plan can help protect you from devastating
financial loss due to a disabling illness or injury and can provide you with peace of mind, knowing that you
could continue to support your family’s current lifestyle.
The Disability Income Protection Plan coverage provides protection at exclusive member-only rates that are among the lowest
you’ll find anywhere for comparable coverage. By providing coverage only to ADA members through an experience rated group
policy, we are able to offer generous policy features at an extremely
attractive price.
The Plan includes a true "own occupation" definition
of disability: that can pay benefits all the way to age 67*. If you become totally disabled from your
specialized area of dentistry, you’ll get full benefits, even if you choose to work in another area of dentistry or
even if you choose to enter a new profession.
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Up to $180,000 a year to replace lost income. The amount of disability insurance you need is typically 60%
of your net monthly income. If your net monthly income exceeds $20,000 contact an
Insurance Plan Specialist for assistance.
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Coverage for total or partial disability
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Exclusive member-only discounts
* Benefits are payable to age 67 or if you become disabled between ages 65-75, benefits are payable for 24 months.
What are the odds I'll become disabled?
Statistics show that 1 out of 4 dentists will be disabled long enough to collect benefits at some point before retirement.
Source: Odds of disability determined by Great-West Financial in 2014 after studying years of disability
claims submitted by insured ADA members.
Apply for Disability Insurance for Dentists.
To be eligible to apply for the Disability Income Protection Plan, you must be actively working 20 hours per
week and not in the active, full-time service of the military.
Rates
The ADA-sponsored Disability Income Protection Plan offers exceptional disability income coverage at
member-only premiums that can be significantly less than some other insurance carriers. By keeping premiums
low, the ADA makes this important protection accessible to all members, even dentists who are just starting out in practice.
Rates are based on your gender and Attained Age and gradually
increase every five years. All dentists within the same gender and five-year age band pay the same rates (though
premiums can vary based on elected options).
To learn more and compare premiums by age and coverage options as well as waiting periods, download the
Disability Income Protection rate chart for males (pdf) here and the
Disability Income Protection rate chart for females (pdf) here. You can also obtain a
Disability Income Protection premium quote online. Rates for all participants (regardless of gender, age or coverage)
incorporate a Premium Credit discount, whenever the Plan's experience has been favorable. The current Premium
Credit discount is 35%.
To be eligible to apply for the Disability Income Protection Plan, you must be actively working 20 hours per week and
not in the active, full-time service of the military. There is a 25% increase to the Standard rate if the applicant uses
tobacco. If the applicant does not qualify for Standard rates, it may be possible to qualify for one of the two additional
substandard rate classes.
Features
The Disability Income Protection Insurance Plan was designed for ADA member dentists concerning the unique risks you face.
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True "own occupation" coverage: This Plan
includes a true own occupation definition of disability—the most generous definition there is—pays you
full benefits if you’re disabled and can’t work in your area of dentistry, even if you’re able to practice other
types of dentistry or choose to work in another profession. (Not all insurance companies offer this.)
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Benefits are payable to age 67: Or if you become disabled between ages 65 and 75, benefits are
payable for 24 months.
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Flexible waiting periods: You can reduce your premium by extending your disability waiting period
or reduce your risk of income loss with a shorter waiting period. You can choose from 30, 60, 90, or 180-day waiting
periods.
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Residual protection: Partial disability benefits are payable should you be able to return to
work part time, following a total disability. And with the Plan's Residual Plus option,
you can qualify for residual benefits even sooner without ever being totally disabled.
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Hospital waiver: If you incur a medically necessary in-patient hospital confinement that lasts a
minimum of five consecutive days, your monthly benefit will be payable from the first day of confinement.
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Coverage renewable to age 75 (if actively working full-time)
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Voluntary rehabilitation program: An optional, fully-paid rehabilitation program including both
physical and occupational therapy is available to help you get back to work as soon as possible.
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Mental and nervous conditions: This coverage includes full long-term benefits for mental and
nervous disorders, as well as some benefits for disabilities resulting from alcohol, drug, chemical, or substance abuse.
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Tax benefits: Generally, disability insurance benefits are not subject to federal income taxation,
as long as you have not deducted the insurance premiums as a business expense. Please consult with your tax or legal advisor.
Coverage Lock-In
The plan features that you select when you purchase Disability Income Protection coverage with ADA-sponsored insurance
plans are in place for the life of your coverage. Read more about
ADA-sponsored insurance plans coverage lock-in.*
To be eligible to apply for the Disability Income Protection Plan, you must be actively working 20 hours per week
and not in the active, full-time service of the military.
* Mandatory changes because of changing regulatory or legal requirements in the future may
be made as required by Illinois law. Otherwise, coverage features in effect on or after
November 1, 2009 may not be amended by Great-West or the ADA once coverage
commences as long as the participant does not allow coverage to lapse. Locked-in coverage
features that subsequently lapse may not be available upon re-application for coverage.
Premium rates are subject to change. The Coverage Lock-in feature does not apply to the
Universal Life certificate.
Options
You can enhance your Disability Income Protection coverage by applying for the following options.
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Residual Plus: Get income benefits without being totally disabled.
Very popular with members, with this optional coverage you do not first have to be totally disabled to
receive benefits. Days of both total and partial disability count toward your waiting period, even if
they are not consecutive. For example, with the Residual Plus option and a 90-day waiting period, you
could qualify for partial benefits when you are totally or partially disabled for any 90 out of 180 days.
To make this option even better, the following benefits are included:
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Recovery Benefit: If you fully recover from disability and return to full-time work performing all of the
duties of your own occupation, you may continue to receive a monthly benefit for up to an additional three
months as long as you continue to suffer a loss of income of 20% or greater.
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Liberal Definition of Loss of Income: Benefit payments can potentially start sooner because during
the first 90 days of partial disability, lost income will now be based on a 20% drop in billables, rather
than on receivables.
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Future Increase Option: Get more coverage without a medical exam.
Guarantees your ability to increase your coverage when your need increases in the future -- without a medical exam.
Get $1,000 in additional coverage every twelve months, up to a maximum increase of $5,000. This option is available up
to age 50 and renewable to age 55. You can also apply for additional coverage (subject to underwriting) at any time.
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Cost of Living (COLA) Option: Don't let inflation devalue your income benefit.
Your benefits automatically increase to keep pace with increases in the cost of living. Annual benefit
adjustments are based on increases in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and are particularly beneficial for
long-term disabilities that extend for several years or even decades. Applicants under age 50 are eligible
to apply for this option.
To be eligible to apply for the Disability Income Protection Plan, you must be actively working 20 hours per
week and not in the active, full-time service of the military.