As a physician assistant or physician associate, you can be held personally liable for a number of work-related error and omission claims. Whether it’s for medical negligence or a cyber data breach exposing sensitive patient information, you can be held responsible even if you are not at fault. For that reason, it is important to understand all of the liability insurance coverage options offered through CM&F. Professional physician assistant liability insurance is a basic necessity for all active professionals, and adding on a few coverage options below can ensure your career, assets, and future are fully protected.
What is physician assistant professional liability insurance?
Physician assistant professional liability insurance, also known as physician assistant malpractice insurance, protects physician assistants from legal claims associated with wrongful practice resulting in bodily injury, medical expenses and/or property damage, as well as the cost of defending yourself in lawsuits related to such claims. There are two types of physician assistant malpractice insurance coverage: claims-made and occurrence policies. A claims-made policy offers coverage only when a claim is filed during a policy period. Occurrence policies accommodate long tail events, or situations that don’t produce lawsuits or claims right away. While a claims-made policy may have a lower premium than occurrence, a claims-made policy owner may need tail coverage to protect themselves from claims made after the policy expires.
Some examples of malpractice claims include:
- Failure to diagnose an existing medical condition that a reasonably competent professional is capable of diagnosing
- Improper patient care or negligent medical treatment that negatively impacted a patient
- Failure to warn a patient of all the possible risks involved with a procedure or treatment method
What is workplace liability insurance?
Workplace liability insurance protects business owners from financial losses should a client or patient be injured in the workplace. The injury can be both work-related, or simply just an unfortunate accident. All of CM&F’s physician assistant group professional liability insurance policies include workplace liability coverage.
Some examples of workplace liability claims include:
- A patient comes to your office and they slip on a wet tile causing injury
- A patient suffers an injury while being assisted by the provider on-site
What is general liability insurance?
General liability covers physical risks, such as bodily injury or property damage. It differs from professional liability insurance, which is coverage for errors and omissions in provider services. General liability is available as an add-on coverage available to self-employed physician assistant individuals, as well as physician assistant group liability insurance holders with CM&F.
Some examples of general liability claims include:
- A patient that suffers a slip and fall incident at a workplace
- Property damage that you or an employee is responsible for causing
What is cyber liability insurance?
Cyber liability insurance covers the cost for a business to recover from a data breach, virus, or other cyberattacks where patient PII is compromised. It also covers the legal claims that result from a patient data breach. Physician assistant group/clinic owners should invest in cyber liability insurance add-on coverage to protect the future of their business.
Some examples of a cyber liability claim include:
- Computer software is stolen that contains sensitive patient information. The cost to rectify the situation is covered by cyber liability insurance.
- A spyware virus compromises patient information. In turn, patients with information compromised by the virus file a lawsuit. The cost of legal fees will be covered with cyber liability insurance.
At CM&F, our goal is to build a lifelong relationship. We want to be a valuable provider from your first day as a physician assistant until the day you retire. It is our hope to serve as a partner in your career, offering help and guidance along the way.
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CM&F was founded over a century ago. Through up and down markets, CM&F’s dedication to physician assistants has never wavered. CM&F remains committed to making it easy and cost effective to secure vital professional coverage with:
- A++ Rated Insurance & Most Comprehensive Physician Assistant Liability Insurance Products
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