Most HR teams inherit DI plans that were designed by generalist brokers who treat disability as an afterthought. A 15-minute review can tell you whether your physicians are actually protected.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. And most generalist brokers don't know the difference.
The plan uses a generic occupation definition rather than a true own-occupation definition tailored to the physician's specialty. A surgeon who can no longer operate but could theoretically consult is not "disabled" under most standard definitions. Under a properly structured plan, they are.
Many group plans cap monthly benefits at levels that leave high-earning physicians significantly underinsured. The plan looks adequate on paper until you run the numbers against actual compensation.
By the numbers: Most group plans cap at $10,000/month—leaving a physician earning $400k+ with a 70% income gap. We specialize in layering coverage to protect 60-70% of total earnings, regardless of the cap.
Residual disability riders, future increase options, cost-of-living adjustments — the details of these riders vary dramatically across carriers. A plan that looks similar on the surface can perform very differently when it matters.
Independent contractors typically can't be added to a standard group DI plan without creating tax and ERISA exposure. Most brokers either ignore the 1099 population or push them toward expensive individual policies.
By the numbers: Our platform utilizes individual billing for independent contractors, allowing them to access group-negotiated rates and "True Own-Occ" definitions without creating an employer-pay liability or tax risk for your organization.
Hollowtree is an independent advisory firm that specializes in disability insurance and long-term care. That's it. We don't sell health insurance, dental, vision, or life. DI and LTC are our core competency, not sidelines.
This specialization means we understand the nuances that generalist advisors miss: the difference between own-occupation definitions across carriers, the implications of specific rider language, and how to design plans that physicians actually enroll in.
We work across the full marketplace — Sun Life, Guardian, MassMutual, Chubb, Transamerica, and others — and recommend what's best for your organization, not what pays us the highest commission.
Carrier Partners
We analyze policy language across carriers to ensure your physicians are covered for their specific specialty, not just any occupation they could theoretically perform.
From consultation through enrollment, our timeline is aggressive because we control the broker, TPA, and technology layers. No handoffs, no middle layers.
Our platform works independently. Premium payments via direct billing or voluntary payroll deduction. No IT project, no payroll slot needed.
We achieve high opt-in rates not through pressure, but through plan designs that make sense for physicians and omnichannel communication that actually reaches them.
“Hollowtree transformed our benefits enrollment from a month-long headache into a smooth, professional process our employees actually enjoy.”
— Chief Human Resources Officer, Multi-Specialty Surgical Group (250 Physicians)
A 15-minute call is enough to walk through your current DI plan and identify whether there are gaps worth addressing. No pressure, no commitment — just a clear-eyed look at what your physicians actually have.
Request Your 15-Minute Physician DI Audit