Your career is more than a job—it’s the engine that funds your family, savings, and future plans. If an illness or injury keeps you from performing the specialized duties you’re trained for, your income can drop overnight. Own occupation disability insurance is designed to protect against that risk. It pays benefits when you can’t do the material and substantial duties of your own profession—even if you could work in another capacity for less income.

Why Own-Occ Coverage Matters

Standard “any occupation” policies may only pay if you’re unable to work in any reasonable job, which can leave high earners exposed. Own-occupation policies focus on what you actually do today—surgery, complex consulting, high-stakes sales, trial work, design engineering, specialized dentistry, etc.—and replace income if those duties become impossible due to a covered disability. That lets you protect lifestyle, savings rate, and business continuity without being forced into a lower-paying role.

Protect Your Income with Own-Occupation Disability Insurance

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Types of Own-Occupation Definitions & Key Riders

• True Own-Occupation: Pays if you can’t perform your own occupation’s duties—even if you work elsewhere for pay.
• Transitional Own-Occ: Pays benefits but may offset if replacement income approaches pre-disability earnings.
• Modified/“Regular Occupation”: Own-occ for a period, then converts to a stricter definition later.
• Residual/Partial Disability Rider: Replaces a portion of income when you can work, but earnings drop due to disability.
• Future Increase/Benefit Update: Lets you raise coverage as income grows—no new medical underwriting.
• Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA): Increases benefits annually while on claim to help offset inflation.
• Catastrophic Disability Rider: Extra benefits for severe impairments that limit basic activities of daily living.
• Non-Cancelable & Guaranteed Renewable: Locks in rates/definitions and guarantees the policy can’t be canceled if premiums are paid.

Case Example: Specialist Who Can’t Do Procedures

A 44-year-old interventional cardiologist earns $420,000 and spends most of the week performing procedures. After a wrist condition and corrective surgery, fine motor control doesn’t fully return. With a true own-occupation policy and a residual rider, monthly benefits begin when he can no longer perform his procedural duties—even though he can still consult and teach. The policy preserves income while he pivots his career, covers ongoing financial commitments, and protects retirement contributions that might otherwise pause.

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

A common target is 60–70% of gross income, coordinated with savings, emergency reserves, and any group benefits. Choose an elimination period (often 60–180 days) that fits your cash cushion, and a benefit period to age 65/67/70 depending on your retirement timeline. We help you right-size coverage and compare “true own-occ” wording, residual triggers, mental/nervous provisions, and specialty language (critical for physicians, dentists, attorneys, and other licensed professionals).

Who Is Own-Occ Best For?

• Physicians, surgeons, dentists, pharmacists, and advanced practice providers
• Attorneys, CPAs, engineers, architects, and consultants
• Sales executives and business owners whose roles demand specific skills
• Self-employed professionals without employer group LTD benefits

Coordinating with Your Bigger Plan

We’ll integrate disability coverage with your emergency fund, life insurance, and long-term saving so cash flow is protected through recovery and beyond. If you’re building a broader protection plan, you can review our overview here: Disability Insurance.