Imagine you book a trip to get away from everything… and wind up on a cruise ship with your neighbors. This happened aboard a Caribbean cruise after they discovered 500 of them are all from Newfoundland, Canada. After the initial shock wore off travellers began to celebrate with their New-found (get it?) friends. Small world, eh?

Onto this week’s stories! (5 minute read). We’ve got:

1. Frontline tales

2. US House finally passes an aid package

3. WHO came to a decision on “through the air“

4. How has our spending on concerts changed?

5. Physicians guide to disability insurance (incl. how to compare)

6. Postcall Crosssword and Image Challenge

Frontline Tales ⛺️

Have a riveting tale of your own? Send us your best story from the OR, ED, or clinic (anonymized, obviously).

Speed Reads 🚤 

1:🍃This past week was 420, and whether you celebrated or not, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you that there’s many ways to enjoy its benefits besides smoking and vaping. Cannabis oils and creams can help reduce inflammation, soothe anxiety, and relieve chronic pain. 

2:⛽ As the weather changes, so do gas prices. The national average for unleaded is $3.63 as of Monday. Why are prices higher? According to CBS, refinery maintenance, the switch to summer gasoline, and rising demand.

3:☀️ Last year was hot — as in, literally. As in, the hottest recorded in the US, ever. Also rising: the number of heat-related emergencies. Heat-related illnesses were responsible for 20% more ED visits than they did in the past 5 seasons.

4:🎵More Americans are going to concerts than ever before. Last year, people spent $6.6 billion on tickets, a 163% increase since 2012. Part of the reason is that many artists can’t rely on streaming revenue anymore, so concerts are more crucial to their livelihoods. Anyone still confused about why Taylor Swift is a billionaire?

5:🦠 The WHO and about 500 experts have finally agreed on how to define infectious disease that spread through the air — a confusion that some scientists say cost lives. A document released on Thursday says the descriptor "through the air" can be used for diseases where the main transmission involves the travel through air, or suspension in air.

6: 📜 The House of Representatives were busy yesterday - with broad bipartisan support, they passed a $95 billion legislative package. This bill provides security assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, over objections from some Republican representatives. Oh, and another bill also passed by the House could force the sale (or ban) of TikTok. Now it’s all up to the Senate.

A Simple Guide to Disability Insurance 🩼 

Imagine hustling through medical school and residency only for an accident to blindside your earning power. That’s where disability insurance comes in, and we’re here to answer all your questions.

When should doctors think about getting disability insurance?: 

Early in your career, your ability to work is your most important financial asset. Disability insurance shields you from drowning in student debt or unexpected emergencies. If you’re young and healthy, you can also lock in lower premiums.

When should a doctor drop their disability insurance policy?: 

By the middle to late stages of your career, you might feel financially stable enough to dial back your disability insurance. If you’ve reached a point where your savings and investments can keep you going without salary, disability insurance might not be necessary anymore. Especially as disability insurance gets pricier and offers less coverage when you age. Most policies end at 67. As retirement nears, continuing with disability insurance might not make financial sense.

What riders (add-ons) does Postcall recommend?

• Own-occupation insurance: Prevents you from getting pushed from your profession into a less desirable career that accommodates the disability.

• Future increase rider: Lets you increase coverage (until a certain age) without another medical exam.

• Cost of living adjustment (COLA): Boosts your yearly benefit to match inflation.

What other riders should I consider?

• Partial disability benefit: Kicks in if you're not fully disabled but experience some income loss

• Student loan rider: Allocates funds to keep your med school payments flowing

•  Non-cancelable/guaranteed premiums: Guarantees coverage and maintains the same premiums as long as you keep making payments on time.

What are good insurance premium rates?

Long-term disability insurance ranges 1% to 3% of your annual income. Coverage options, like riders, can increase costs to 5%. But here’s a neat sequence to compare price/value:

1. For every insurance you’re considering, ask each vendor to quote you a $10k/month policy.

2. Calculate total premiums to 55 (this adjusts for scaled policy)

3. Ask for opinions on what claims with particular companies have gone over.

Ok, who do you recommend getting the insurance from?

1. MassMutual

2. The Standard

3. Guardian

4. Principal

5. Ameritas

Lastly, we should say - we’re not insurance experts, and this is mean to be a short entertaining dip into the world of insurance. For a deeper review, we recommend reading through this primer from AMA and/or talking to your financial advisor.

Laugh of the Day

🕹️ Game ⛳️

This 420 is a great day to get high....scores in this week's crossword! 

First question: What is another way of saying “tongue tied?”

Enjoyed our puzzle? Send it along to friends & co-workers!

Image Challenge 📸 

Source: Originally published on NEJM

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🤘 PS. If you’re reading this, you know that our readers are America’s best and brightest physicians. Learn about partnering with Postcall if you’d like to reach them.