Story at-a-glance
- Dentists with a history of hand or wrist pain may still qualify for disability insurance.
- In most cases, the insurer will exclude coverage for the affected area.
- Each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- A broker can help you pre-screen anonymously to find the best offer.
- Coverage for all other conditions is still important and worth having.
Why It Matters
As a dentist, your hands are everything. A tremor, injury, or chronic pain could stop you from working—and stop your income. That’s why many dentists want disability insurance to protect what they’ve worked so hard to build.
But what if you’ve already had a history of hand or wrist pain? Can you still get covered?
The short answer is: Maybe.
How Insurance Companies View Hand and Wrist History
If you’ve had past issues—like carpal tunnel, tendinitis, arthritis, or even just wrist pain noted in your medical records—insurance companies take that seriously. These conditions can lead to:
- Exclusions, which means the policy won’t cover disability claims related to that hand or wrist
- Delays, while underwriters gather more records
- Or in rare cases, declines, depending on severity
That said, it’s still very possible to get a policy—you just need to know what to expect.
What’s an Exclusion?
An exclusion is a section in your policy that says if you’re disabled because of X condition (like your right hand), the insurance won’t pay benefits. But everything else is still covered.
So if you injure your back, develop a heart condition, or have another unrelated issue—you’re still fully protected.
While it’s not ideal to have an exclusion, having a policy that covers everything else is far better than having no coverage at all.
How to Get the Best Outcome
The smartest move is to work with a broker (like us) who can pre-screen your case anonymously with all the top insurance companies. That means:
- No medical records submitted yet
- No official application filed
- No impact on your insurability
We simply gather a brief medical history and shop it around to underwriters to see what kind of offer (and exclusions, if any) might come back. Then you can decide before you apply.
Final Thought
Yes, hand or wrist pain in your past could lead to limitations in your policy—but it won’t automatically disqualify you from getting the protection you need. In fact, getting coverage now can protect you from future surprises, before any new symptoms show up.
Want to find out what kind of coverage you could qualify for? Click the button below to request a free, confidential pre-screen.
We’ll do the legwork and let you know what’s possible—before you commit to anything.
Ready to protect your future?
Get a personalized side-by-side policy comparison of the leading disability insurance companies from an independent insurance broker.
