As a doctor, you’re well aware from dealing with your patients that life can take unexpected turns.

The same could happen to you.

One day, you’re in the operating room or consulting with patients, and the next, you could be facing an illness or injury that sidelines you from your profession.

Income protection is designed to be your financial safety net in these scenarios, helping you maintain your lifestyle and cover your expenses whil you focus on getting back to work.

But what exactly does income protection involve, and why is it so crucial for doctors?

Some insurers treat jobs differently — meaning the same role could cost far more with one insurer than another.

Your occupation class (1–4) affects price, benefits, and even whether you’ll be accepted.

This guide explains how income protection works by job, how to avoid overpaying, and why checking all insurers matters.

A step-by-step guide to picking the right income protection policy in Ireland.

Learn the 5 key decisions that matter, avoid common mistakes, and see how to compare insurers like a pro.

Self-employed or PAYE accountant?

Protect your income with tax-deductible cover that pays you monthly if you can’t work.

No BS advice.

No pressure.

Thinking about Zurich Life for your income protection?

We break down their top benefits — including early intervention, hospital cover, and salary top-ups — and compare them to Aviva, Royal London, and more so you can choose with confidence.

Illness — the sneaky bastard — has no manners.

It doesn’t text ahead or pencil itself into your Google Calendar.

One day you're grand, the next, at 3am you're googling “what does a heart attack feel like”

And it’s not just the big hitters — heart attacks, cancer, strokes — it’s the mental ones too: anxiety, burnout, depression.

The stuff your da used to call “being a bit soft” until he had that panic attack in SuperValu.

Here goes...

But then Sarah gets sick.

She’s out of work for a week because of cramps. The company she works for are decent and pay her for up to 10 sick days a year. Sarah’s not worried.

But then the cramps don’t go away and she finds out she’s got cancer and she’s about to face a long medical battle, and god knows how long out of work.

Those 10 paid sick days are all the company cover.

So, what happens next? And what if something like that were to happen to you?

When researching income protection, customers often ask us this question:

Will the insurance company help me to get back to work?

Here's the answer:

With so many different variations of insurance out there, I know it can get overwhelming.

Many of us think that we're good to go once we have health insurance.

But health insurance has a few sneaky limitations that might not seem like such a big deal until you're in the midst of a medical emergency.

Your No Bullshit Guide to Income Protection

Based on questions I have been asked over the years.

Enjoy!