Summary Of Colorado Specific Policy Features*

Percent More or Less than Average Premium

  • Male: -0.79%

  • Female: 2.83%

Policy Options from All of the Big Five Companies:

Yes

Unisex Policies Offered

No

*The information on this page is accurate as of the date this page was created, September 2021.  Policies and discounts vary by individual circumstances. For information on your specific options, please consult with one of our advisors.

In a state made up of many rural or frontier areas, being a physician is one of the most valuable kinds of jobs you can have. Approximately 66 percent of Colorado’s 64 counties are considered “rural” and are facing a huge shortage of primary care. The shortage of physicians has been occurring for several years and the state has already made attempts to improve physician numbers.

In 2005, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus created a rural program aimed at encouraging more medical students to focus their learning on primary care medicine in rural posts. Despite having almost 80,000 square miles of rural land mass, less than 10 percent of Colorado’s physicians actively practice in rural areas.

As of 2021, there are 7,518 active physicians in Colorado in specialties including:

  • Emergency medicine: 982

  • Anesthesiologists: 832

  • Psychiatry: 784

  • Surgery: 709

  • Radiology: 630

  • Cardiology: 348

  • Oncology: 243

  • Endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism: 91

  • All other specialties: 2,899

Life in Colorado

With more than 5.77 million residents, Colorado covers a total land and water area of more than 104,000 square miles and has a population density of 55 residents per square mile. Major parts of Colorado’s economy include several industries like agriculture, tourism, mining, manufacturing, government, and defense. As the state continues to push a strong economy in agriculture, much of Colorado’s water availability and the safety of its forests are expected to fluctuate significantly.

Because of the plethora of state parks and hiking trails, Colorado is often considered among the healthiest of states by behavioral and healthcare researchers. In 2021, Colorado was the top-ranked state with the lowest obesity rate of 23.8 percent. Another consideration for the quality of health in the state is the focus on eating whole, nutrient-dense food sourced within Colorado. Compared to Mississippi (the top-ranked most obese U.S. state), there is a 16% difference between the two states.

How to Protect Your Future

As a physician in a state seeing dwindling numbers of medical professionals in rural areas, protecting your future and finances should be your number goal. Do you have or have considered getting physician disability insurance? Your career is hugely dependent on your ability to perform your specific tasks. The primary benefit of disability insurance is to replace your income in the event that you become disabled and are unable to work.

There are a variety of kinds of physician disability insurance, but the two main kinds are short- and long-term disability insurance. Short-term disability insurance usually replaces 50–80% of your income for the 3–6 months you have coverage and covers immediate disabilities like back injuries, arthritis, and childbirth. Long-term disability insurance generally covers 60% of your annual gross income until you are age 65, and covers disabilities such as vehicle accidents, bone breaks, musculoskeletal disorders, cancer, and mental health disorders.

Another important kind of disability insurance is true own-occupation disability insurance, which pays your full policy benefit amount if you can’t perform your specific duties (or specialty) but are employed somewhere else. This means that if you get in a car accident driving to a rural town and suffer an extensive injury, your injury will be covered under your disability insurance policy and you can accept full income benefits for several years. In addition to receiving full benefits, you can still practice medicine if it’s not in the specialty area you were in prior to the injury. If your specialty was surgical oncology, then you can still practice medical oncology while collecting your disability payments.

Read Our Guide to Physician Disability Insurance

Would you like to learn more information about physician disability insurance and how to protect your financial future? Pattern’s mission is to provide the best resources and support to help you find the best disability insurance policy. When you work with Pattern, we guide you through a free 3-step process that includes:

  1. Request Your Quotes: fill out a simple quote request form, which we’ll submit and get you your quotes from the Big 5 companies that offer physician disability insurance.

  2. Compare Your Options: once your Pattern support team provides you with your quotes from the Big 5, you can compare your options. We will be by your side the whole time to answer your questions, provide examples, and make sure you have a clear understanding of each policy option.

  3. Apply and Buy: after you’ve made a decision on a policy option, you will need to complete a short application. From there, we will handle the insurance paperwork and make sure your income is insured.

For more information on disability insurance for doctors, read our Beginner's Guide to Disability Insurance.