The call came on a Tuesday afternoon, between patients. Maria, a family physician, listened as her mother explained that her father had collapsed in the kitchen. By evening, the CT confirmed what Maria suspected: a left-hemisphere stroke.

Her father survived. What followed was the part no one in her family was prepared for, except, in theory, Maria.

She was the one who read the discharge summary. She was the one who called the rehab facility, compared home health agencies, and translated “custodial care” into plain English for her siblings. She was the one who explained, more than once, that Medicare would not pay for the aide who now came every morning to help her father bathe and dress.

Within two years, her parents had spent most of what they’d saved for retirement. Her mother, the primary caregiver, was exhausted. And Maria, who spent her days managing other people’s chronic conditions, spent her evenings managing her father’s.

One night, sitting in her parents’ living room, a question landed hard: When it’s my turn, who will be the doctor in the family for me?

If any part of Maria’s story sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Physicians are very often the family’s default care coordinator. You know the system. You know what a diagnosis means for the years ahead. And that makes you uniquely qualified to plan for your own care.

What Maria learned the hard way

Maria’s family ran into the same misconceptions that catch many physician households off guard.

“Medicare will cover it.” Medicare covers limited skilled nursing care after a qualifying hospital stay, typically up to 100 days under specific conditions. It does not cover custodial care: help with bathing, dressing, eating, and mobility, at home or in a facility. That is the care most people need, and it’s the care Maria’s parents paid for out of pocket.

“We’re healthy. We won’t need it.” Her father had been active and well-managed until the day he wasn’t. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 70 percent of people turning 65 today will need some form of long-term care services in their lifetime. Stroke, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, a fall, or a complicated surgery can change everything overnight.

“Insurance is a waste if you never use it.” This was the reason Maria’s father had passed on long-term care coverage years earlier. He didn’t want to pay premiums for decades on a policy that might never pay out. It’s a fair concern, and one that traditional long-term care insurance has never fully answered.

The cost of guessing wrong is steep. The average annual cost of a shared nursing home room in the U.S. is about $94,000, and a private room costs even more.

A member benefit built around that concern

As a Colorado Medical Society member, you have access to Transamerica Universal Life Insurance with long-term care benefits. It’s designed to solve the exact problem that kept Maria’s father from buying coverage: the fear of paying for something you never use.

This is permanent life insurance first. It builds cash value over time and pays a death benefit to your beneficiaries. But if you need long-term care, you can access a portion of that death benefit while you’re living to pay for it. One policy, two purposes, and value in either scenario.

Simple to apply. No physical exam or blood work. Acceptance is based on your answers to health questions on the application, which matters when your schedule is already full.

Coverage for your spouse. Spousal coverage is available, with a maximum death benefit of $100,000 for spouses. Remember Maria’s mother: the caregiver often needs protection, too.

It goes where you go. Change practices, relocate, cut back, or retire early, and your coverage continues as long as premiums are paid.

Predictable cost. Rates include a guaranteed level life insurance premium.

Meaningful monthly benefits. The long-term care benefit pays 2 percent of your death benefit per month for home care or adult day care, or 4 percent per month for care in a facility. An extension rider adds up to 50 more months of home or adult day care, or 25 more months of facility care. On a $500,000 policy, that’s $10,000 a month for home care or $20,000 a month for facility care.

A path back. If you use long-term care benefits and later recover, the Restoration Rider can restore your death benefit up to 100 percent, so your beneficiaries remain fully protected.

And if you never need care? Your premiums weren’t wasted. Your family receives the full death benefit, which can help with estate taxes, equalize an inheritance, or support causes you care about. Along the way, the policy’s cash value is available to borrow against for a child’s education, a practice investment, or an unexpected expense.

Why it matters more for physicians

You’ve built more to protect. Years of training and practice-building often lead to real estate, investments, and practice equity. An extended illness can force those assets to be sold at the worst possible time.

Your household has higher fixed costs. After delaying gratification through training, many physician families carry lifestyles and commitments that long-term care expenses could quickly upend, for both the person needing care and their spouse.

You know what caregiving costs a family. You’ve seen it in your patients, and maybe in your own family. Dedicated funds for professional care mean your children don’t have to put their careers on hold, and your spouse doesn’t have to become a full-time caregiver.

You want to choose your care. Adequate funding means decisions based on what’s best for your health and comfort, not only what’s affordable.

Maria’s next step

Maria didn’t wait for a crisis of her own. She ran her numbers, added coverage for herself and her husband, and told her siblings about it at the next family dinner. “I’ve spent my whole career telling patients to plan ahead,” she said. “It was time I took my own advice.”

Consider doing the same. Coverage is easiest to get while you’re healthy, and health can change without warning.

To review policy details and use the interactive calculator to see your premium and benefit amount, visit the enrollment education page, enroll.buddyins.com/cms.

Maria is a composite character based on experiences commonly shared by physicians and their families.

Products underwritten by Transamerica Life Insurance Company (TLIC), Cedar Rapids, Iowa. TLIC is not an authorized insurer in New York. Policy form series TMUL1000×0421 and TCUL1000×0421. This article is for informational purposes only. Limitations and exclusions apply. Refer to the policy, certificate, and riders for complete details. Product not available in all states. BuddyIns is an insurance producer specializing in long-term care planning, insurance enrollment, education, and technology.