Case Study Snapshot: Harbor Pilot Group Disability

---

The occupation of harbor pilot is a very intriguing one from a disability insurance perspective.  They are mariners with decades of experience, highly trained and educated and highly paid.  Their occupation duties can be physically and mentally demanding as they board moving vessels and help guide captain and crew through highly populated, highly traveled and treacherous waterways. 

Despite their historically impressive income levels, harbor pilots remain far from ideal prospects of traditional disability carriers.  Moderate group benefits are available in the market, but IDI policies are scarce and high limits are non-existent.  However, specialty carriers have developed numerous primary and excess income protection solutions for the niche occupation.

An employer of more than a dozen harbor pilots was wanting to max-out their disability benefits.  The employees were all making mid to upper-mid six figures.  The group had $20,000 per person of monthly benefits through a domestic carrier, so the employer’s writing agent turned to Petersen International for excess coverage solutions.

We were able to provide them with a supplemental layer of monthly disability benefits of $25,000 per person.  Even more incredibly, we were able to secure the program on a guaranteed issue (GSI) basis!