Your benefits broker probably set up your disability insurance plan years ago. They picked a carrier, chose a plan design, and moved on to the next line item. That's how most group DI works -- it's treated as a checkbox, not a strategic benefit. But disability insurance is the most misunderstood benefit in a physician's benefits package. The difference between a strong own-occupation definition and a weak one can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars at claim time.
Key Takeaways
Your Broker Didn't Specialize in DI
Most benefits brokers focus on health, dental, and vision. Disability insurance gets bolted on without real analysis of own-occupation definitions, benefit caps, or rider language. Your physicians deserve better.
Low Participation Signals a Design Problem
If fewer than half your physicians are enrolling, the issue is usually plan design and communication, not employee apathy. The coverage doesn't match what they need, so they opt out.
1099 and W2 Under One Roof Is Hard
If your organization has both employed and independent physicians, most brokers can't handle both cleanly. You end up with two separate programs, two enrollment processes, and compliance risk.
Enrollment Shouldn't Take a Month
Paper forms, login portals, manual tracking. Traditional enrollment is a time sink for HR. A modern process should take 30 minutes per employee and require minimal HR lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the audit cost?
The 15-minute DI Plan Audit is a complimentary service. We provide a gap analysis report at no cost to help you determine if your current coverage meets physician standards.
How long does implementation take?
A full plan refresh takes 4-6 weeks from kickoff to live enrollment. Our team handles the heavy lifting, including employee education and platform setup.
Do you work with our existing broker or replace them?
We can work alongside your existing broker as a specialty DI sub-advisor, or we can replace the line of coverage entirely. Your health and dental relationships remain untouched.
What does this cost HR in terms of time?
We require roughly 2 hours of HR time total: one kickoff call and one review of the communication strategy. We handle the rest.
Zero Lift for Your HR Team
Hollowtree handles 100% of the implementation so your team can stay focused on what matters.