Official resources for the 1099 clinician disability program.
Learn how the program works, what makes the coverage physician-specific and what members can expect if they ever need to use it.
Produced by Sun Life for Hollowtree's 1099 clinician disability program.
These videos were produced by Sun Life, the carrier for this program. Hollowtree also works with other carriers and program structures. Coverage is subject to policy terms and available to eligible clinicians where offered under the applicable program.
Considering coverage
What the coverage is, and what makes it physician-specific.
Six short videos from Sun Life on the income-protection gap contracted clinicians face, the three-party structure behind the program, and the provisions that make the coverage fit specialty practice.
Official Sun Life video
The income-protection gap contracted clinicians are left with when there is no employer plan behind them.
Why disability insurance is important for 1099 clinicians
Sun Life sets out why contracted clinicians carry an income-protection gap: working 1099 usually means no employer disability plan, while student debt and fixed costs continue if an illness or injury stops clinical work.
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Working as a 1099 clinician brings flexibility and independence for you, but there can be a downside. You may not have disability coverage through an employer. So what would happen if an injury or an illness kept you from working? Your income could stop, but expenses like medical school debt and everyday bills wouldn't. And in the clinical field, burnout remains widespread, which could affect your mental health and ability to work. Disability insurance can help protect the income that depends on your specialty and ability to practice. It's one way to feel more financially secure if the unexpected happens.
The three-party structure behind the program, explained by the carrier.
How the CCA, Hollowtree and Sun Life work together
Sun Life explains the three roles in the program: the Clinicians Care Association holds the group policy, Hollowtree manages eligibility, enrollment, payments and ongoing support, and Sun Life provides the disability insurance and pays approved claims.
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As a 1099 clinician, your disability coverage options may be limited or expensive. That's why the CCA, Hollowtree, and Sun Life are working together to make coverage simpler and more accessible. Here's how it works. The Clinicians Care Association, or CCA, is the policyholder. It gives you access to Sun Life's Disability Insurance under a single affiliated organization. Hollowtree manages the details, including eligibility, enrollment, payments, and ongoing support. And Sun Life provides the disability coverage and pays approved claims. Together, we make it easier for you to protect your income, so you focus on your practice, your patients, and the career you've worked so hard to build.
How the definition of disability relates to the procedures, specialty duties and clinical work a covered professional actually performs.
Own specialty and subspecialty definition of disability
Sun Life describes how its own specialty and subspecialty definition is tied to the procedures a clinician bills, and how a covered professional who can no longer perform their specialty duties may be eligible for benefits even if they can still work in another role.
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Our own specialty or subspecialty definition helps protect the work healthcare professionals actually do, as defined by billing CPT procedure codes. Here's why this is important if you are a physician or a non-physician provider with a specialized occupation. If you can no longer perform the specific duties of your medical specialty due to a covered illness or injury, you may be eligible for disability benefits even if you can still work in another role. If you do not have a defined specialty, Sun Life refers to the American Board of Specialties to understand your duties so we can support accurate claim decisions.
How partial disability coverage may help replace lost income while a clinician continues working in another capacity or returns to specialty practice gradually.
Partial disability and gradual return to work
Sun Life explains how partial disability coverage may help replace part of a clinician's lost income when a covered illness or injury limits some specialty duties but not all clinical work, including how the benefit calculation is applied to each claim.
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If a covered illness or injury keeps you from performing some of your specialty duties but you're still able to work in another capacity, Sun Life's Disability Insurance may help replace part of your lost income. We have your best interests in mind. For each claim, we use our best of both worlds benefit calculation. We calculate your benefit using both the proportionate loss formula and the fifty percent offset formula, then pay the higher amount. That means you can continue caring for your community while getting financial support as you gradually return to your specialty.
Carrier scale, financial strength and a claims team experienced with physician income and specialty work.
Why Sun Life's backing matters
Sun Life makes the case for looking at the carrier behind a policy, not just the coverage: its group benefits history, its financial strength ratings, and a claims team it describes as experienced with the complexities of physician income and specialty practice.
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When you're choosing disability insurance, it's not just about the coverage. The company behind it matters, too. You want a carrier with the financial strength and expertise you can trust. That's where Sun Life comes in. We have been in the US group benefits business for over one hundred years, helping approximately ten million Americans access the care and the coverage that they need, and we understand the unique needs of healthcare professionals. Our financial strength ratings reflect our ability to meet our claims obligations. We also have a team of claim professionals who have an average of more than twenty years of experience and understand the complexities of physician incomes and specialties. So when you choose Sun Life, you're choosing an experienced insurance carrier with the financial strength and expertise you can count on.
Why a group-structured benefit can only be elected inside a defined enrollment period.
Why coverage must be evaluated during the enrollment window
Sun Life explains that because this coverage is structured as a group benefit, it can only be elected during a defined enrollment window. Enrollment windows are set per sponsoring organization; there is no standing open enrollment.
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No one expects an illness or an injury to interrupt their career, but it helps to be financially prepared. Sun Life's Disability Insurance can help protect the income that you rely on as a clinician, so you can focus more on your recovery and return to practice, and less on your finances. Because this coverage is structured like a group benefit, it's only available during a specific enrollment window. If you want coverage for the next benefit year, take time to learn more about Sun Life's Disability Insurance and enroll before the window closes.
Claims are handled by Sun Life. These two videos are the carrier's own description of how a claim is submitted and reviewed, and what support a covered clinician may receive. Benefits are payable on approved claims, subject to policy terms.
Official Sun Life video
The support a covered clinician may receive from the carrier's claims and clinical teams.
What to expect if you become disabled
Sun Life describes what a covered clinician may expect at claim time: an integrated clinical model spanning medical, behavioral health and vocational expertise, and regular communication about the claim and any return-to-work plan.
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No one expects to need disability benefits, but if you do, Sun Life is here to support you. Our claims professionals have an average of more than twenty years of experience, and they understand the complexities of physician incomes and specialties. We have an integrated clinical model that brings together medical, behavioral health, and vocational experts. They'll work together to assess your ability to work, identify barriers that may delay recovery, and, when appropriate, develop a safe, sustainable return-to-work plan. We'll keep you updated on your claim and return-to-work plan in the way that works best for you. So here's what you can expect: reliable, coordinated support and clear communication so you know what's happening and what comes next.
How a claim is submitted, reviewed and decided, and when benefits may begin on an approved claim.
The disability claim process
Sun Life walks through submitting a claim through its member portal, what a claims examiner reviews, and when benefits may begin on an approved claim following the elimination period set out in the policy.
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Submitting your claim through Sun Life is simple. You can submit your claim online through our easy-to-use member portal. We'll ask questions about you, your job, and your illness or injury. You can also upload important documents directly in our portal. Once Sun Life receives all necessary information, a claims examiner reviews your request and documentation and then provides a decision. If your claim is approved, benefits begin after the elimination period outlined in your policy. A team of experts may also help assess your ability to work, identify barriers that may delay your recovery, and, when appropriate, develop a safe, sustainable return-to-work plan. We will keep you updated on your claim and return-to-work plan by email or phone.
Enrollment runs through the organization that sponsors your coverage, during that organization's enrollment window. If you contract with a sponsoring organization, they will share the enrollment details for your program.
Produced by Sun Life for Hollowtree's 1099 clinician disability program. Coverage is subject to policy terms and is available to eligible clinicians where offered under the applicable program. Sun Life is the carrier for this program; Hollowtree works with other carriers and program structures for other programs.
