Trainees: It’s never too early, but if you haven’t looked into getting disability insurance yet, you should especially get some quotes in June before leaving your institution after finishing residency/fellowship.
If you know where you’ll be next month, a good agent will be able to compare your available institutional discounts from each location and make sure you get the best deal. My own policy was cheaper with discounts from my training institution.
The folks at LeverageRx and Pattern can get you quotes for the right kind of policy (own-occupation, non-cancellable, guaranteed-renewable) from the reputable companies quickly. You should always get a few sources of quotes to comparison shop too; insurance is expensive, and you’ll be holding this policy for a long time.
You may ultimately decide not to pull the trigger, but it helps to know your options in order to make the right decision for you (and your family).
((Those are affiliate links. Using them helps support my writing without cost. The information is always free; all agents get paid by the insurance companies and not the individual.))