At Baxter & Associates, we service many healthcare professionals—including orthodontists—and help them find comprehensive and affordable malpractice insurance. We’ll explain why orthodontists need malpractice insurance like any other healthcare provider.
Orthodontists Are as Liable as Physicians
While dentistry and orthodontics may not seemingly have the same stakes as physicians and their treatment, an orthodontist can be found just as liable for injury to a patient as any other healthcare provider. Orthodontists are responsible for diagnosing and treating dental and facial irregularities, and treatments can go wrong in many ways.
The field of orthodontics focuses on the face and smile, so incorrect treatment and mistakes can cause permanent damage to a patient’s appearance. In such cases, a patient would be significantly motivated to take action against their healthcare provider, like their orthodontist, in a malpractice lawsuit.
Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Are Common
In today’s healthcare industry, medical malpractice lawsuits are unfortunately common for most healthcare providers. The American Medical Association estimates roughly a third of physicians have been sued for malpractice at some point in their career, with roughly half of those healthcare providers being sued multiple times.
The trend of malpractice lawsuit frequency dates back to the early 1960s in the US, and with the recent strain on the industry from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not expected to decrease any time soon. Orthodontists are not immune to this trend, and if they’re not careful, one mistake could add them to the growing list of healthcare providers sued for malpractice.
Malpractice Settlements Are Increasing
Another key reason why orthodontists need malpractice insurance is that the severity of malpractice rewards and settlements is increasing. Nearly every state in the US has seen an increase in malpractice claim severity in recent years, and the trend is expected to continue.
The typical malpractice injury settlement is in the thousands and trending upward to millions. Without malpractice insurance, orthodontists sued for malpractice could see their financial security evaporate from a settlement or damage reward.
Conclusion
If you’re an orthodontist needing medical malpractice insurance, Baxter & Associates can help. Our expert staff will help you find a policy ideal for your situation, whether you’re an orthodontist, CRNA, chiropractor, or another type of healthcare professional.
Much is misunderstood about malpractice insurance, like what a liability insurance policy covers. Does malpractice insurance cover criminal charges? We answer that question and more regarding malpractice insurance below.
No, Criminal Charges Are Not Covered by Malpractice Insurance
Healthcare professionals must understand the difference between criminal charges and a malpractice lawsuit. Criminal charges are remedied in criminal court, while malpractice lawsuits occur in civil court, where the penalties are strictly financial and don’t include the threat of imprisonment.
If a healthcare provider is found to be intentionally negligent or reckless and harms a patient, they could be indicted for criminal charges, which malpractice insurance would not cover. Malpractice insurance is only for civil proceedings. Exceptions to that coverage include sexual misconduct.
Malpractice Coverage & HIPAA Violations
HIPAA violations are other common concerns regarding malpractice coverage. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) deals with patient privacy and governs healthcare professionals, healthcare facilities, and insurance companies.
If a healthcare professional fails to maintain a patient’s privacy and is accused of a HIPAA violation, they could be hit with a malpractice lawsuit. Whether their insurance covers the lawsuit depends on their coverage. While many policies will include coverage for a HIPAA violation, it might not be standard coverage like the other costs and may require additional coverage.
What Malpractice Insurance Does Cover
We’ve discussed much of what malpractice insurance doesn’t cover, so you’re probably wondering what it covers for those facing a malpractice lawsuit. Coverage varies from one insurance provider and policy to another, but the standard framework of malpractice insurance covers the following costs:
Attorney fees
Court costs
Arbitration costs
Compensatory damages
Settlements
Even if a malpractice insurance policy covers these costs, limits exist regarding how much a policy will pay to cover these fees per claim or policy period. If you have malpractice insurance or are searching for a policy, read the details carefully to understand the plan’s coverage.
Conclusion
Medical professionals should know many things about malpractice insurance, from what it covers to policy limits and more. At Baxter & Associates, we make the search for insurance easier for medical professionals by connecting them with policies suited for them, like nurse practitioner liability insurance. Contact our helpful staff today if you need malpractice insurance or want to learn more.
There are many facets to insurance policies that may confuse those unfamiliar, such as the deductible. If you’re having trouble understanding your malpractice insurance policy’s deductible, let us help with our brief explainer on the basics of malpractice policies and deductibles.
What Is an Insurance Deductible?
What is an insurance deductible, and why is it important to understand? Basically, the deductible on an insurance policy is the lump sum the insured must pay before the insurance carrier begins paying what the policy covers. Typically, the higher the deductible, the lower the monthly premiums, and vice versa.
Insurance Deductible Scenario: If you’re in an automotive accident and your vehicle needs repairs, you must pay the deductible before the insurance policy activates.
In medical malpractice terms, the healthcare professional must pay a set amount before the insurance carrier covers the costs of a settlement or legal fees and court costs. But, as we’ll discuss, the deductible may only be for an indemnity and not cover the legal fees of a lawsuit.
Do Malpractice Insurance Policies Feature a Deductible?
One thing that the insured should understand about their malpractice insurance policy’s deductible is that their policy may not even feature a deductible. A deductible is standard for basic home, auto, and healthcare insurance policies. But malpractice insurance is different, and many policies don’t feature a deductible.
While they’re not as common as they are for home or auto policies, some malpractice insurance policies feature a deductible. The deductible for a malpractice policy can vary wildly from $1,000 to $10,000 or higher, depending on the policy and what it covers.
What’s the Difference Between an Indemnity and Indemnity & Expense Deductible?
Those who decide on a deductible for their malpractice insurance have a choice between an indemnity-only and an indemnity and expense deductible. In an indemnity-only deductible policy, the insured must pay the deductible only if payment of indemnity must be made and the insured is forced to pay a settlement to the plaintiff.
So, if the defendant of a malpractice lawsuit has an indemnity-only deductible policy, they’d only pay the deductible if they lose the case and are forced to pay an indemnity. But an indemnity-only policy does not cover legal costs—an indemnity and expenses policy does. Those insured with such a policy pay the deductible immediately for legal fees.
We hope our guide has helped you understand malpractice insurance deductibles a little better. As a medical malpractice insurance agency, we understand every facet of malpractice insurance and are always happy to help those looking to learn more. Contact our helpful staff today if you have further questions or are interested in purchasing an insurance policy.
A malpractice lawsuit can have a significant impact on a healthcare professional’s career. Even if the lawsuit is ultimately dismissed or the clinician is found not liable, the experience of going through a malpractice suit can be stressful and time-consuming and can have lasting effects on their professional reputation and career prospects.
The rise of malpractice claims is an unfortunate part of working in the healthcare industry. Below, we’ll explain how a malpractice lawsuit can impact any healthcare provider’s career, from reputational damage to lengthy court proceedings.
Loss of Work & Reputational Damage
The primary effect that a malpractice claim can have against an individual is permanently damaging their reputation and causing a loss of work. Depending on the severity and outcome of the claim and incident, a healthcare provider may be immediately terminated from their position.
A malpractice claim can cost an individual their current position and prevent them from securing the same position somewhere due to the reputational damage from the lawsuit. Reputation and trust are essential to securing employment in the healthcare industry, and a malpractice claim can permanently stain anyone’s career and prevent future work.
Lengthy Proceedings
How does a malpractice lawsuit work and how long does it take? A case has several different stages. The length of the proceedings is another aspect of a malpractice lawsuit that can impact a healthcare provider’s career. A malpractice case, even one decided relatively quickly via settlement, will often take over a year, with some cases stretching for multiple years.
A malpractice claim hanging over the head of a professional can add significant stress and distraction, like a black cloud following them everywhere. The time it takes to resolve a claim can be immensely frustrating and discouraging for those who want to resolve the claim and move on with their careers and lives.
Decline in Job Performance
It’s easy to see how the looming threat of a malpractice claim can affect the job performance of a healthcare provider. Professionals in this field must be confident in their knowledge and abilities while working, but a malpractice suit undermines self-confidence.
The significance of the lawsuit and the perpetual waiting can easily lead to a decline in job performance, as healthcare providers are distracted, frustrated, and exhausted from the lengthy and cumbersome process.
Disillusionment With Career
All these effects of a malpractice lawsuit have led to many healthcare providers becoming disillusioned with their careers and the entire industry. While many people enter healthcare because they want to help others, the legal entanglement and frustration of a malpractice claim have forced many to change their careers due to their disappointment.
Even those who settle their malpractice claim or win the lawsuit and are absolved of any wrongdoing have changed careers for an industry with fewer risks as a healthcare provider. It’s an unfortunate and darker side of healthcare that many can’t stomach after direct exposure.
Conclusion
A malpractice lawsuit can negatively affect a healthcare provider’s career in many ways, which is why malpractice insurance is essential. At Baxter & Associates, we help healthcare professionals get the necessary coverage they need, whether that’s CRNA moonlighting malpractice insurance or another form of insurance. Contact our staff if you’d like to learn more about malpractice insurance, including your insurance policy’s deductible.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) have a choice when they begin their careers—get a full-time position at a facility or become an independent contractor. But what are the pros and cons of being an independent CRNA contractor? Working full-time and as a contractor can have different impacts on your work-life balance and your pay. We discuss the pros and cons of working as a CRNA contractor in our helpful guide below.
What Is an Independent CRNA Contractor?
CRNAs face many different challenges on the job, but the first is to decide which is a better fit for your life—working full-time or as an independent contractor. First, what does it mean to be an independent CRNA contractor? Basically, there are two types of nurses—W-2 and 1099 nurse contractors. A full-time W-2 nurse is employed by a healthcare facility and files their tax income with a W-2 form.
According to the IRS, a 1099 independent nurse identifies as a small business—they pick and choose the contracts they agree to but don’t have a full-time employer. So, a 1099 CRNA nurse can travel nationwide to many different facilities and locations each year instead of just one facility.
Advantages of Working as an Independent CRNA Contractor
Choosing whether to be a W-2 or 1099 CRNA is a significant career decision. Below, we’ll discuss the pros and cons of becoming an independent CRNA contractor so you can weigh both sides and make an informed decision.
Freedom of Job Choice
As the name suggests, being an independent CRNA contractor affords much more freedom than a standard CRNA. As independent contractors, CRNAs can take on the contracts they desire and choose where they want to work and what type of work they’d like to do.
CRNA contractors can choose their location and work hours and are not beholden to changing shift schedules at facilities and staffing shortages. And if a CRNA gets tired of a facility and wants to try somewhere new, they can move on to somewhere across the country if desired.
Work-Life Balance
Perhaps the most difficult part of being a CRNA and a nurse is balancing time devoted to work and personal time. With so many facilities around the country suffering from nursing and staffing shortages, many CRNAs and RNs are working longer, more intense hours, which takes up a larger portion of their personal lives.
Independent CRNA contractors aren’t immune to feeling an imbalanced work and personal life, but they’re given much more flexibility and power to change the balance if needed. 1099 CRNAs can negotiate their hours and move to a different facility at the end of their contract instead of feeling tied down to one place.
Better Pay
One of the primary reasons that many CRNAs consider becoming a 1099 contractor is that it gives them more power in negotiating their pay. Typically, a 1099 nurse gets paid roughly 10-20 percent more than a regular W-2 nurse, but much of that is offset by costs a W-2 nurse doesn’t worry about—which we’ll discuss later.
But since independent CRNA contractors choose their contracts, they have many more options and can find a facility that’s in greater demand and is willing to pay more. An independent CRNA has much greater earning potential than a standard CRNA—at least at first.
Tax Deductions
Later, we’ll discuss that independent CRNAs have a significantly higher tax burden, but they can still use many tax deductions to ease that burden. As an independent contractor, a CRNA is considered a small business—and not just a person—in the eyes of the IRS.
As a small business, an independent CRNA can file for many more tax deductions than they would normally be able to, as there are many provisions to help entrepreneurs and small business owners in the tax code. Plus, 1099 CRNAs can write off many of the added expenses that come with being independent, including:
Uniforms
Travel expenses
Educations expenses
Job supplies
Internet
Experience
One of many things that independent CRNAs rave about their unique status is that it offers the chance to cultivate a lot of experience. As a 1099 contractor, CRNAs can try different locations and facilities across the country until they find something that best fits them.
The added experience of working at multiple facilities in a short time frame helps CRNAs better develop their skill set towards their dream job and allows them to meet more people in the industry and develop references. The independent contractor role is ideal for those who wish to try everything before landing in one spot.
It Can Turn Into a Full-Time Job
There’s always the option for independent CRNAs to change their mind and switch when they desire. If a 1099 CRNA starts a job at a facility they enjoy with a staff they build strong connections with, they can apply to work there full-time.
Many independent CRNAs eventually choose one place to settle down with for greater stability, but as a 1099 contractor, they can take the job for a test drive before deciding to stay long-term.
Disadvantages of Working as an Independent CRNA Contractor
Below we’ll explore some of the disadvantages of working as a CRNA contractor.
Greater Tax Burden
The primary downside to operating as a 1099 CRNA contractor is the taxes. Since an independent CRNA doesn’t have a permanent employer, they’re responsible for withdrawing their share of FICA from their income. Instead of taking the income taxes from the paycheck as employers do, independent contractors typically have to pay one large sum at the end of the year.
But unlike full-time employees, CRNA 1099 contractors can take advantage of tax deductions, like travel expenses, insurance, and office supplies.
No Employer Benefits
The other downside to not having a permanent employer is that you wouldn’t get employer-owned benefits as a 1099 CRNA. While an independent CRNA can apply for benefits from certain healthcare organizations that provide perks to 1099 contractors, they’re typically not as robust as those from an employer.
Independent CRNAs are responsible for getting their insurance and don’t receive perks like a paid vacation from employers. They may find benefits that are just as good, but they’ll have to do the legwork themselves to find equal or better benefits.
Personal Liability
Another disadvantage to being independent is that CRNAs are responsible for securing their malpractice insurance. Since they’re independent, they’re liable for malpractice claims instead of being covered by the facility’s insurance.
Obtaining nurse anesthetist malpractice insurance is critical to working in healthcare, as it protects professionals from damaging liability lawsuits that could cost thousands of dollars. While independent CRNAs benefit from choosing their insurance, it typically costs more as an individual than it would join a group malpractice insurance plan for a healthcare facility, as other CRNAs do.
There are pros and cons of being a nurse anesthetist whether you’re full-time or a contractor. We hope our explainer has enlightened those who want to learn more about the independent CRNA experience, especially if you’re considering moonlighting as a nurse or CRNA. If you’re a 1099 CRNA contractor and need malpractice insurance, contact our helpful staff to get started and find the right coverage for you.
Explore our blogs to learn more about CRNA as a profession and contact us to get malpractice insurance quotes.
One of the many seismic changes the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the healthcare industry is the rapid use of telemedicine services. While telemedicine can benefit patients and doctors, it could also be the reason for substantial errors that could lead to a lawsuit. We’ll discuss some of these errors and situations below.
Misdiagnosis
While misdiagnosis errors aren’t strictly confined to telemedicine, it’s still the primary concern for healthcare providers and professionals who offer telemedicine services. Telemedicine is convenient for many providers and patients, but an examination over a video call still isn’t as thorough as a physical examination.
Misdiagnosis is one of the most costly errors that could lead to a lawsuit, and telemedicine is not immune to the risk. When making a diagnosis and treatment plans, it’s always better for the doctor to be in the room with the patient instead of conducting a visual examination.
Prescription Errors
Similar to a misdiagnosis, prescription errors in telemedicine can quickly result in malpractice suits. Prescription errors can come in many forms—the patient has been prescribed the wrong dosage or the wrong medication, or a human error in miscommunication mixed up prescriptions.
While telemedicine may provide patients with more access to doctors, a communication barrier can always cause issues, particularly with prescriptions. When prescribing powerful medication for severe illnesses, it’s always best for the doctor to meet the patient face-to-face.
Privacy Breach
Doctor-patient confidentiality is a crucial principle for healthcare providers—patients must trust their providers to protect their sensitive health information from data thieves. While telemedicine is often secure, it offers another opportunity for data thieves to steal information.
All healthcare providers who offer telemedicine services must use HIPAA-compliant video conferences and data services for any video examinations or discussions regarding patient information. If a healthcare provider accidentally leaks patient information or it’s stolen due to incompetent telemedicine services, they could be found liable.
Communication Mistakes & Delays
While telemedicine makes accessing doctors much easier for patients in many ways, it can still be a burden on the provider and their communication if it’s not managed correctly. With telemedicine, some doctors see many more patients than they used to, which means juggling more diagnoses and treatment plans.
Through this higher load of patients, doctors and healthcare staff can make more mistakes or delay diagnoses or treatment plans, which can be labeled malpractice in a lawsuit.
If you’re a healthcare provider offering telemedicine services, group medical malpractice insurance is essential for mitigating risk and lawsuit damage. Contact our expert staff at Baxter & Associates to learn more about group malpractice insurance.
Nurse practitioners (NP) face many challenges in their position, many of which stem from miscommunication. Below, we’ll explain how effective communication skills can help NPs prevent issues and discuss some of the greatest communication challenges NPs face.
Why Communication Is Important for Nurse Practitioners
NPs have many responsibilities, from recording a patient’s medical history to ordering lab tests and developing treatment plans. But at the heart of all an NP’s responsibilities is effective communication, both between the NP and patient or NP and other staff.
If communication in any of these relationships’ falters, the NP can’t fulfill their responsibilities to the best of their abilities, and issues arise. That’s why written, verbal, and nonverbal communication are all vital skills that NPs need to succeed.
Issues That Stem From NP Miscommunication
If an NP doesn’t communicate properly with a patient or fellow staff, many issues can arise. If the NP doesn’t have quality communication skills, a patient may not reveal their entire medical history out of embarrassment or anxiety, causing vital information to go undocumented and putting the patient at risk. Even something as simple as filling out a lab test order requires written communication skills.
If there’s ambiguity or confusion, it can cause delays and inefficiency.
Even the slightest delays in healthcare can have severe consequences, so NPs need strong communication skills to prevent these issues. And if the patient suffers due to an NP miscommunication, they can seek damages in the form of a malpractice lawsuit, which is why NP malpractice insurance is also vital.
Communication Challenges That NPs Face
Unfortunately, the healthcare field is rife with challenges to effective communication for NPs. Some of the most difficult challenges are the lack of time and information overload.
Time Crunch
As we discussed, NPs have many responsibilities, and many of these responsibilities are time-sensitive. With a nationwide shortage of nurses, NPs are taking on even more responsibilities and patients with fewer resources, so time efficiency is critical.
With so much to do and so little time, it’s easy to rush communication and for things to get lost in translation. Communication is critical to an NP fulfilling their responsibilities, even if it takes longer than they want.
Information Overload
Another consequence of NPs having so many responsibilities is that it can feel like they’re being overloaded with information. Information overload is a significant problem, especially for those treating many patients, as it’s easy for details to fall through the cracks or get lost in the avalanche of data and info.
The more information you throw at a person, the more likely it is they will forget something. This is why written communication and documentation are so crucial for NPs.
We hope our explainer has enlightened you about the communication challenges NPs face in their field. If you’re an NP that needs malpractice insurance, contact our staff to learn more about Baxter & Associates today.
If you’ve ever evaluated a medical malpractice insurance policy, you might have noticed the many clauses it can contain. Insurance policies have many clauses and provisions with different definitions and meanings that not everyone fully understands—like the consent-to-settlement clause. In our guide, we’ll explain a consent-to-settlement clause, its importance, and why you may want to consider it for your insurance policy.
What Is a Consent-to-Settlement Clause?
A consent-to-settle provision is an additional clause sometimes found in professional or medical practice liability insurance that empowers the insured in settlement situations. Typically, an insurer can settle with a claimant without the insured’s express permission, and there’s not much the insured can do about it.
The consent-to-settle clause allows the defendant to reject a settlement and fight a claim if they believe it is unreasonable and think the settlement could be a black mark on their career and reputation. This clause is included in most professional liability policies but is not a guarantee—if you’re unsure about your specific policy, double-check the policy paperwork or contact your insurance agent.
You might also know the consent-to-settlement clause as a hammer or blackmail settlement clause.
Do I Need a Consent-to-Settle Clause in My Policy?
Does everyone need a consent-to-settle clause? Whether someone feels they need this clause is entirely up to the individual. Still, a consent-to-settlement clause is very important for many people, especially doctors and medical professionals. A consent-to-settle clause allows the individual to take matters into their own hands if they see fit—after all, it is their name and reputation on the settlement.
A consent-to-settle clause is not essential to most people, but some prefer the added control it gives them as the insured party. Ideally, the insured would never have to use their malpractice insurance or activate the consent-to-settle clause to decline a settlement.
The Pros & Cons of a Consent-to-Settle Clause
The consent-to-settle clause gives the insured more control, which can also be a double-edged sword. While an individual may want more control of something as important as a malpractice settlement, they’re likely not as experienced or knowledgeable regarding settlements or the malpractice claim process to make an uninformed decision.
Insurers are experts in settlements, and if they think a settlement is a good offer, they’re likely correct. It’s not unheard of for the insured to use the clause to reject a settlement, lose in court, and pay an even greater sum than the previously agreed settlement.
How do malpractice claims affect careers? The consent-to-settlement clause can help expediate claims since some trials can go on for a long time.
We hope our brief guide has been illuminating and helpful for those looking to learn more about liability insurance and consent-to-settle provisions. If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to contact our expert staff at Baxter & Associates. You can also browse our blogs to learn more about consent-to-settle loss and the stages of a medical malpractice case.
There’s a lot of discrepancy between what’s covered under one malpractice policy and another and how much is covered in damages and costs. Below, we’ll explain some of the basics of malpractice insurance and whether it typically covers defense costs for defendants.
Malpractice Insurance Typically Pays for Defense Costs
In almost all cases, a malpractice insurance policy will cover the expenses that come from the defense of your case. Defense expenses are typically one of the core elements of malpractice insurance, as well as:
Attorney fees
Arbitration costs
Court costs
Settlement costs
Compensatory damages
Medical damages
While not every malpractice insurance policy is the same, and there can be quite a difference in what’s covered from one policy to another, defense costs are typically part of most policies.
Do Defense Costs Count Toward the Policy Limit?
Defense costs are covered in most policies, but another aspect to consider is whether that coverage is inside or outside the policy’s limits. The cost limit for a policy is a cap for how much the insurance provider will pay to resolve the claim.
Some malpractice insurance policies include the defense costs in the policy limits, while others make them separate and reserve the policy limits only for paying damages or settlements. In most cases, policy limits are for damages only, and defense costs are separate, but this is not something you should assume. Making such assumptions could dramatically affect how much you’d be responsible for personally paying in damages.
Does Malpractice Insurance Cover Punitive Damages?
Another question that many should consider is whether their malpractice policy covers punitive damages along with compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are rewarded to replace monetary losses and expenses of the plaintiff, while punitive damages are meant to penalize the defendant beyond the compensation rewarded.
But there’s a lot of variance in punitive damages coverage because there’s such a wide discrepancy in punitive damages from state to state. In some states, punitive damages are only reserved for specific situations and are capped at a certain amount, while in other states, they’re much more common. Whether malpractice insurance covers punitive damages will depend largely on local laws and restrictions.
Conclusion
Navigating all the ins and outs of malpractice insurance can be challenging. Baxter & Associates aims to be a malpractice insurance agency that is approachable and helpful to people who want to ensure they’re protected should they come under scrutiny. Contact our helpful staff if you want to learn more about malpractice insurance or find a policy that fits your needs.
Medical malpractice coverage is necessary for healthcare professionals, especially certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), but what about supplemental liability coverage? Below, we’ll explain the basics of supplemental liability coverage and why CRNAs need it.
What Is Supplemental Liability Coverage?
Before we get into why CRNAs need it, what exactly is supplemental liability coverage? Supplemental liability coverage is when a CRNA holds individual malpractice coverage separate from the insurance provided by their employer.
Most CRNAs and medical professionals have group medical malpractice insurance where all the personnel who practice within the employer’s facility, like a hospital, are covered by one policy. But more and more medical personnel and CRNAs are getting supplemental liability coverage along with their employer insurance. Why?
Why CRNAs Need Supplemental Coverage:
Independence From Employer
One of the primary reasons for getting supplemental liability coverage is that it gives the individual a degree of independence and freedom from their employer. Instead of being attached to a group policy that keeps them at their job, CRNAs can take their supplemental policy with them should they decide to work elsewhere.
It also gives CRNAs more control over their reputation by being more involved in the claims process. Some may be surprised to hear that it’s not uncommon for a CRNA or other professional to not even know they had a malpractice claim against them until they attempt to work elsewhere. With supplemental CRNA medical malpractice insurance, professionals can earn more independence and greater control of their coverage and reputation.
Guaranteed Representation
As we discussed, when a CRNA is only covered by group insurance, they’re much less involved in the claims process. Another reason to attain supplemental liability coverage is that it guarantees direct representation of the CRNA in the proceedings.
Unless the claim goes to a jury trial—which rarely happens—malpractice claims can be addressed and settled with little to no input from the CRNA or defendant. A separate policy ensures that the CRNA will have someone present specifically looking out for their interests.
Coverage Options
Often, individual employees like CRNAs and others part of a group policy aren’t even sure what coverage they have or what they’re covered for. Finding out the details of a group policy can be a hassle for an individual as they have to go through human resources instead of directly dealing with the insurance provider.
With supplemental liability coverage, CRNAs can better understand their coverage and fill any gaps they feel are necessary for their coverage. Supplemental coverage offers complete coverage and peace of mind for individuals.
