What are the Benefits of Malpractice Insurance?

Oluwafemi Smith
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1.2K Views
Mar 23, 2022

The worst thing that could befall anyone would be living in a place of ignorance. A school of thought says: “if you think education is expensive, consider ignorance”. It gets more painful when one compares the cost of avoiding situations [like insurance] through which knowledge should have brought liberty, but now has dented an image, resulting in expense, and a total waste of time.

I’ll say again, having an insurance policy is never a bad decision, especially for a business entity. This means having the right insurance policy for the organization, likewise the right insurance for an individual as a professional. In the healthcare sector, for instance, it is tantamount for a professional to have malpractice insurance to provide a cover in the event of being filed a lawsuit.

Today, I'm excited to educate you on professional liability insurance, malpractice insurance, the differences between liability and malpractice insurance, comparison between medical malpractice insurance and professional indemnity, amongst other subtopics in insurance.

What is the meaning of malpractice insurance?

Malpractice insurance is a type of insurance for healthcare practitioners under professional liability insurance. This type of insurance would serve for scenarios where patients bring lawsuits against healthcare practitioners alleging that they were damaged by the professional's carelessness or purposely detrimental treatment decisions prescribed by the medical experts.

Why is medical malpractice insurance important?

If there is just one importance of malpractice insurance, it will be that it defends doctors and other healthcare workers against accusations that their actions were negligent and resulted in patient damage. Healthcare practitioners like doctors, nurses, dentists, opticians, physiotherapists, and the likes who offer medical services must have medical malpractice insurance.

Is medical malpractice insurance the same as professional indemnity?

What many may not know is that professional indemnity insurance also includes medical malpractice insurance. Unlike normal professional indemnity insurance, which covers only the risk of financial loss, medical malpractice insurance covers cases in which a mistake of judgment might result in death.

How much is malpractice insurance in Canada?

While there are many professionals in the healthcare sector, and as such may limit a general value to the malpractice insurance in Canada, however, the average annual malpractice premium for Canadian obstetricians is currently $31,000. Neurosurgeons will be paid $27,900, while orthopaedic surgeons will be paid $24,288. This value may vary depending on the insurance provider and the terrain. Each province and medical association have reached an agreement on how the expense is shared between the taxpayer and the physician when the need arises.

Which doctors pay the most for malpractice insurance?

The need to address who pays the most for malpractice insurance is acceptable, and therefore an easy answer since the one who has the greatest risk is logically prone to litigations in the discharge of duties. While malpractice insurance costs may vary by region and speciality, surgeons and obstetricians would be paying the highest premiums due to the high-risk nature of possible outcomes.

What do insurance companies look at to determine your premium?

Insurance companies' lookout for the age of the client buying the policy, medical history, life history, and credit score are major pointers that insurance companies use when determining your insurance premium.

What is the difference between liability and malpractice insurance?

The major distinction between liability and malpractice insurance is that a malpractice policy is a subset of liability insurance that is designed to cover physicians, attorneys, and other professionals if a client files a claim for damages. Typically, surgeons are covered by malpractice insurance.

What is a cap in insurance?

A cap in insurance simply means the entire benefit amount that an insurance plan is supposed to pay out, such that the plan will no longer offer coverage if a patient's medical expenditures attain the intended value.

What is tail coverage?

Tail coverage extends coverage for occurrences that occurred while your insurance was active but for which no claim was lodged until after your policy had expired or been cancelled.

What is nose coverage malpractice?

Nose coverage is a feature of claims-made insurance that protects you if you make a mistake or overlook something while insured under an expired policy.

What does gap insurance mean?

Gap insurance is that cover you get when your car is damaged or stolen, and you owe more than the car's depreciated worth.

What is an annual limit?

Simply put, the annual limit is the total benefits that an insurance company will pay in a year when an individual is enrolled in a particular health insurance plan.

What is an example of negligence?

In insurance, an example of negligence would be a store owner who while mopping the floor forgot to put a “wet floor” sign, and a customer walks across and slipped spraining his ankle and wrist.

In conclusion, malpractice insurance is required for any healthcare professional, as it would save in the long run when slammed a lawsuit.