Principal Disability Insurance
for Physicians and Dentists
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Principal Disability Insurance
Your ability to earn an income is your most valuable asset. Principal disability insurance helps protect it if illness or injury keeps you from working.
At DoctorDisability, we help physicians and dentists decide if Principal is the right carrier—and how it compares to Guardian, MassMutual, and other top disability insurance companies.
Why Physicians and Dentists Choose Principal
Doctors and dentists often choose Principal because the policy is:
- Clear and easy to understand
- Strong for partial and recovery claims
- Flexible as income grows
- Backed by strong financial ratings
- Is one of only a few companies to offer coverage to part-time employees
Principal is especially popular with residents, early-career physicians, and doctors who want predictable contract language.
About Principal Disability Insurance
Principal Life Insurance Company is part of the Principal Financial Group, a Fortune 500 company with more than 145 years of experience helping individuals protect their financial lives.
Principal provides individual disability insurance through its Income Protector policy and is consistently ranked as one of the top carriers for non-cancelable individual disability income insurance in the United States
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Principal Income Protector Disability Insurance
Principal’s flagship individual disability policy is called Income Protector.
It is designed to replace a portion of your income if you become too sick or injured to work. Benefits are paid monthly after the elimination period and can continue for many years depending on how the policy is designed
Principal True Own-Occupation Definition of Disability
Principal offers a true own-occupation definition of disability.
This means:
- Because of an injury or illness, you are unable to perform the substantial and material duties of your own occupation.
- If your policy includes the True Own Occupation rider, you could collect benefits even if you are working in a different occupation.
Even if you earn income in a different role, you could still qualify for total disability benefits under a true own-occupation policy
Medical and Dental Specialty Recognition
Principal clearly recognizes medical and dental specialties.
If your occupation is limited to a single professionally recognized specialty in medicine or dentistry, Principal will consider that specialty to be your occupation at claim time, based on:
- Your actual duties
- Time spent performing those duties
- Income derived from those duties
This is especially important for surgeons, procedural specialists, and dentists whose income depends on hands-on work
Principal Disability Insurance Policy Features
Principal Income Protector policies include:
- Non-cancelable coverage
- Guaranteed level premiums to age 65
- Benefit periods up to age 65, 67, or 70
- Elimination periods as short as 30 days
- Total disability benefits
- Waiver of premium during disability
As long as premiums are paid, Principal cannot cancel the policy or increase base premiums.
Principal Disability Insurance Riders for Doctors
Principal allows physicians and dentists to customize coverage with optional riders.
Residual Disability and Recovery Benefit Rider
Pays benefits when income drops due to reduced capacity, even if you are still working. This is one of Principal’s strongest features.
Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Rider
Increases benefits during a long-term disability to help offset inflation.
Annual Increase Rider
Automatically increases your benefit each year, usually by 3%, as long as you accept the increase.
Maximize Your Benefit Rider
Allows you to increase coverage as income grows without medical underwriting, based on financial qualification.
Presumptive Disability Benefit Rider
Pays full benefits if you permanently lose sight, hearing, speech, or use of certain limbs, regardless of income loss.
Waiver of Premium Benefit
Waives premiums during disability.
Partial Disability and Recovery Benefits
Many disabilities reduce income without stopping work completely.
Principal’s residual and recovery benefits:
- Can trigger with as little as a 15% income loss
- Guarantee a minimum benefit during the first 12 months
- Continue benefits during recovery if income has not fully returned
This is a major reason many physicians choose Principal.
Mental Health and Substance-Related Coverage
Principal policies generally limit benefits for mental, nervous, and substance-related conditions to 24 months over a lifetime.
This limitation applies unless the disability requires continuous inpatient hospitalization. Understanding this limitation is critical when comparing carriers.
Who Principal Disability Insurance Is Best For
Principal is often a strong fit for:
- Medical residents and fellows
- Early-career physicians
- Dentists with steady income
- Doctors who value strong partial disability benefits
- Professionals who want clear, simple contracts
It may not be the best fit for every specialty, which is why comparison matters.
Principal vs Other Disability Insurance Companies
Principal is commonly compared with:
- Guardian
- MassMutual
Principal stands out for residual benefits, flexibility, and ease of policy design. The best carrier depends on your specialty, income, and career stage.
How DoctorDisability Helps Physicians
DoctorDisability is your guide.
We:
- Work only with physicians and dentists
- Compare Principal with all top carriers
- Explain contracts in plain English
- Design coverage around your specialty
- Support you through underwriting and claims
Our job is to help you protect your income with confidence.
Ready to protect your future?
Get a personalized side-by-side policy comparison of the leading disability insurance companies from an independent insurance broker.
FAQs about Principal Disability Insurance
Is Principal disability insurance good for physicians?
Yes. Principal is known for strong partial disability benefits, clear contract language, and flexible policy design for physicians and dentists.
Does Principal offer true own-occupation disability insurance?
Yes. Principal offers a true own-occupation definition, which allows you to receive full disability benefits even if you work in another occupation, as long as you cannot perform the main duties of your own occupation.
Does Principal recognize medical specialties?
Yes. If you practice a single recognized medical or dental specialty, Principal may treat that specialty as your occupation at claim time based on duties, time spent, and income.
How does Principal handle partial disability claims?
Principal is considered one of the strongest carriers for partial and recovery benefits. Benefits may begin with as little as a 15% income loss and can continue during recovery.
Are mental health disabilities covered by Principal?
Mental health and substance-related disabilities are generally limited to 24 months over a lifetime, unless continuous inpatient hospitalization is required.
Can I increase my Principal disability insurance later?
Yes. With riders like Maximize Your Benefit or Annual Increase, you may be able to increase coverage as income grows without medical underwriting.
We're committed to doing good.
Doctor Disability partners with Su Refugio, an orphanage in South America, to provide 100 meals to orphaned children for every policy purchased.
Free Guide: The Essential Guide to Disability Insurance for Doctors
Discover the essentials of a great disability insurance policy.
- Most important features of a great policy.
- Common exclusions from coverage
- How much does it cost?
- How much should you buy?
- Pros and cons of group disability
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Ready to protect your future?
Get a personalized side-by-side policy comparison of the leading disability insurance companies from an independent insurance broker.
Content reviewed for accuracy as of January 2026