Malpractice Insights

When it comes to malpractice insurance, one of the most critical times for doctors is when they’re looking to CANCEL their insurance to make a significant change… perhaps you’re leaving your current employer and moving to a new group, or maybe your premium has been going up and you want to move to a new insurance carrier, or you just want to switch to a different type of coverage to better meet the needs of your growing practice. <...

Today we’re continuing our Mail Bag segment with some more “real life” scenarios to talk through. We’re going to talk about making an agent change
– when it is and isn’t necessary, growing a practice and hiring more doctors when you’re in the E&S market, and dealing with a six-figure tail bill.

(0:54) How hard is it to just change an agent?

(4:38) Growing your practice in the E&S market

(7:25)...

It can take awhile to finally land on a malpractice carrier that you really like. And once you’re all setup with them, it’s very comfortable and easy to just renew your policy year over year. And to be honest, there are many reasons why it makes sense to stay with the same carrier for the long-haul. But, there are also some drawback and potential issues with staying with the same malpractice company for a really long time. Today we...

Buying medical malpractice insurance can be a time-consuming, frustrating process. There are many different companies to choose from, policy types to understand and coverage nuances that can make it difficult to really know if you’re getting the best coverage at the best price. This is why most doctors prefer to work with an agent to help them compare options in the market. So, why not just have your current insurance broker – the ...

According to the AMA, 1 in 3 doctors have been sued for medical malpractice. And the data that we see from the insurance carriers shows that number continues to go up, depending on your specialty, where you practice, and how long you’ve been working.  It’s very likely that you will be involved in at least 1 malpractice claim by the time you retire from the practice of medicine.  And if you’ve never been involved in a claim before, ...

Today we’re continuing our Mail Bag segment with some more “real life” scenarios to talk through. We’re going to talk about RUSH malpractice insurance (like you need it in a few days), getting credentialed way before you actually plan on opening your practice, and how best to structure locums coverage.

0:53 Medmal in a Rush
4:48 Timing Your Credentialing
8:18 Structuring Locum Tenens

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If you’re just getting started in your medical training, you might be wondering how malpractice insurance works for medical school, your internship, residency or fellowship. So, today we’re going to talk about the things you need to know going into these programs, whether or not supplemental insurance is something you should consider, and what to expect when you finish your training and get started in the real world of medicine.

So, you’ve cancelled your Claims-Made malpractice insurance policy and now, your carrier has given you a tail quote – but it looks like there are multiple options? And the price is significantly different, depending on which option you choose. Well, the reason for the different tail prices is that the coverage is different. You likely have an option for an unlimited tail and a few options for limited tails.  So, what’s the differen...

Interacting with patients on a daily basis exposes you, your employees, any independent contractors working for you AND the practice itself to professional liability.  And, while it’s pretty well-known that doctors and healthcare providers need to carry malpractice insurance, one of the most common mistakes that we see is forgetting to cover your medical corporation.  But for most start-up practices, cost is a major issue and provi...

Today we’re continuing our Mail Bag segment with some more “real life” scenarios to talk through. We’re going to talk about rate increases on a Claims-Made policy, the best coverage options for medical director coverage, and how to setup malpractice insurance in a cost-effective way for a brand-new practice on a budget. 

0:58 Unexpected rate increases
4:55 Coverage for medical directors
8:44 Budget friendly tips on...

So, you’re looking at malpractice insurance options and being the smart provider that you are, you’ve got quotes for both Occurrence and Claims-Made policies in front of you.  You like the idea of an Occurrence policy, but the Claims-Made quote is so much cheaper in the first few years. So, why not just start with the Claims-Made policy now and then switch to Occurrence when you’re a little further down the road? Well, CAN you swit...

If you’re an employed physician, chances are, your malpractice insurance is being provided FOR you. And while this is certainly convenient, there may be limitations in your malpractice policy that you’re not aware of. For this reason, many providers wonder if they should get supplemental malpractice insurance?  

So today, we’re going to talk about why you might want to consider getting additional coverage – and what kind of insuranc...

If you’re struggling to find malpractice insurance, your agent might suggest coverage options for you in the non-standard market. But, what exactly does that mean? Well today we’re going to go over the main differences between a standard malpractice insurance policy and a non-standard malpractice insurance policy. We’ll talk about the reasons why a healthcare provider may need to go the non-standard route and give you 5 key things ...

Today we’re continuing our Mail Bag segment with some more “real life” scenarios to talk through. We’re going to talk about coverage provided by a contracted entity, advice for practice administrators on onboarding and offboarding providers, and buying malpractice insurance again after being bare. 

0:48 Tail insurance and consent to settle
5:20 Advice for onboarding and offboarding
9:06 Malpractice insurance after ...

Malpractice insurance premiums can be pricey. In fact, they’re one of the top expenses for a medical practice today. This is why we’re so adamant that providers shop around, compare their options thoughtfully, and work with a knowledgeable agent who can keep their eyes on the market to ensure you’re always getting the best coverage at the best price.  

But once you’ve been given your quote for coverage, is that it?  How negotiable i...

A malpractice claim comes in for a patient that you treated on April 1, 2019.  Wait a minute… where was I even working back then?  And who did I have for my malpractice insurance at that time?  Well, if you haven’t been keeping good records of your prior work history and your medmal coverage over the years, this situation can quickly turn frantic as you search your files to see who you should be contacting for help.  

Toda...

When it comes to Claims-Made malpractice insurance, there are some nuisances with this policy type that can make it a bit more complicated to understand.  One of the most distinctive characteristics of this type of coverage is how it starts at a low premium and then increases in price every year for 5 years. And if you weren’t made aware of this when you first BOUGHT the policy, it can be incredibly frustrating to see your rate go ...

It’s our 100th episode of Malpractice Insights – I can’t even believe it! And I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has tuned in over the last few years. Whether you’ve just stumbled upon our show with a question on a specific malpractice-related topic, or you’re a regular listener, I’m so grateful that you’ve taken the time to be here and I TRULY hope that you’ve found the information that we’ve shared helpful. So thank y...

Why do doctors actually need malpractice insurance? And what does it even cover? Healthcare providers need malpractice insurance to protect them in the event of medical negligence, but this insurance policy is more robust than most doctors realize. Beyond simply paying for claims and compensating injured patients, your medical malpractice insurance policy actually provides defense and reimbursement for a number of other things.  

Le...