There have been an increasing  amount of lawsuits over medical malpractice, and many of these trials are won by the patients. In the US alone, the awards given to the plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases are 16 percent higher than the awards won in other misdemeanor trials. Due to the high amounts of penalty awarded to patients, medical professionals may get into a financial risk. However, it’s something that a medical malpractice liability coverage can help them with.

What is Liability Coverage for Healthcare Professionals?

Liability-Coverage-Why-Every-Healthcare-Professional-Needs-it

This is a type of liability coverage that protects healthcare workers when they lose a medical malpractice lawsuit, requiring them to pay a certain amount of money to the patient. Most states require doctors to get this kind of liability coverage before they can work in the hospital. The rates depend on the specialty and the doctor’s history of medical practice.



What are the Requirements?

There is a minimum amount of coverage that the American Medical Association requires hospitals to have. Some states also require physicians to be eligible for coverage regarding state liability programs. These liability programs also compensate patients when the court rules in favor of them in a lawsuit. Different states have various minimum liability coverages for physicians depending on their specialty.

On top of this, some hospitals require doctors to have malpractice insurance before they can start using their facilities.  

What is the Responsibility of a Medical Professional?

Although hospitals carry malpractice insurance plans to protect the association, some lawsuits may single out a medical professional. When this happens, the doctor need to pay for a part of the financial damages that the patients get. Due to this, medical practitioners are also encouraged to get their own medical malpractice insurance to cover their expenses if they get involved in a lawsuit.

What are the Benefits?

Aside from helping medical practitioners pay for their part in a lawsuit, malpractice insurance also covers investigating claims and provides a lawyer for representation. More importantly, this kind of insurance give healthcare professionals peace of mind. This way, that they can perform their duties without fear of getting sued and losing their assets.

Being a healthcare worker is a serious profession that requires safety and has a lot of responsibilities. As a medical practitioner, it’s your duty to protect yourself from unforeseen events such as medical malpractice lawsuits that can overwhelm your finances.

At Professional Plans, we aim to make our client’s life easier with policies that are tailored to their needs. You can get more information about our products and services by calling our agency at (859) 543-8955.