What the Hands Test checks
Most dentists have some disability coverage, often through an association or group plan. The question is how much it would actually pay, and when. The test looks at seven things that decide that:
- Waiting period: how many days you'd cover your own bills before the first payment.
- Benefit vs. bills: whether your monthly benefit covers your line of credit, housing and living costs.
- Partial disability: whether you're paid while you return part-time.
- Practice overhead: who pays staff, rent and leases if you own a practice.
- Price and terms guaranteed: whether your insurer can raise your premium or change your coverage.
- Room to grow: whether you can increase coverage as your income rises without new medical questions.
- Portability: whether your coverage follows you if you change clinics or leave an association.
How the estimate works
The test models a six-month wrist injury. For the waiting period, it counts every dollar of your monthly must-pays as out of pocket. After that, it counts the gap between what you need each month and what your policy pays. If you own a practice without overhead coverage, your practice costs are added to the gap.
You also get a coverage score out of 100 and a chart that groups each area as Healthy, Watch or Needs treatment, so you know what to fix first.
Who it's for
Associates, new graduates and practice owners in Canada who want a quick, plain-language read on their disability coverage before an injury forces the question.
Common questions
Do I need my policy documents to take the test?
No. Rough answers are fine, and you can choose "I'm not sure" for anything you don't know. Not knowing is useful information too: it usually points to the first thing to check.
What is a waiting period?
Also called the elimination period, it's the number of days between becoming disabled and your first benefit payment. Common choices are 30, 60, 90 or 120 days. During that time, your bills are on you.
What is partial or residual disability?
It pays part of your benefit when you can work, but less than before, for example two or three days a week while a wrist injury heals. Without it, going back part-time can stop your payments while your income is still down.
Is my information saved?
Your answers stay on the page. Only your first name, email and a summary of your results are sent, so we can email you a copy.
Is this a quote or advice?
No. It's an educational estimate. What you'd actually receive depends on the wording of your contract. A free 15-minute policy review can confirm your real numbers.