| Medical professional liability insurance is another name | | | | claims-made policies. This type of insurance covers |
| for medical malpractice insurance. There are two | | | | the doctor forever against claims that result from |
| types of medical professional liability insurance, | | | | the period in which the policy was in effect. |
| claims-made and occurrence policies. There are | | | | Both of these forms of medical professional liability |
| advantages and disadvantages to each of these | | | | insurance are very expensive, so there are currently |
| types of policies. | | | | a lot of organizations working on proposals to solve |
| Claims-made insurance policies are one year long | | | | the problem of compensating any patients with |
| policies that are renewed each year without | | | | legitimate medical malpractice claims without doctors |
| interrupting the coverage. Any claims made during the | | | | having to pay huge premiums for liability insurance. |
| claims-made policy period will be covered, no matter | | | | Some of the proposed solutions for the medical |
| when the incidence actually occurred, as long as the | | | | professional liability include capping non-economic |
| incident occurred after the original purchase of the | | | | damages, trying medical professional liability cases in a |
| claims-made policy. This means coverage is | | | | tribunal system outside of the main court system, |
| retroactive back to the first policy. This type of | | | | use a no-fault system for compensation, using |
| medical malpractice insurance is cheaper in the first | | | | alternative dispute resolution methods like arbitration |
| few years of coverage as it is less likely claims will be | | | | and medication, and using screening panels to review |
| made in the first few years of coverage. Premiums | | | | cases and determine whether or not cases should |
| increase each year up to five years, when the reach | | | | proceed to court. |
| the approximate cost of the occurrence policies. | | | | Doctors need to have medical professional liability |
| Once a claims made insurance policy is cancelled, no | | | | coverage in order to protect them from medical |
| further claims are covered. However, tail coverage | | | | malpractice claims, which could otherwise bankrupt |
| can be purchased to cover any claims that occur for | | | | them should they occur. Doctors can lose a lot of |
| a certain amount of time after cancellation. | | | | money even on medical malpractice claims where |
| Occurrence medical professional liability insurance | | | | they are not at fault, as they have to prove this. |
| covers all claims that occur during the coverage | | | | In order to get the best deal on medical professional |
| period, regardless of when the claim is made. | | | | liability insurance doctors should check around with |
| Because there is no way of knowing how many | | | | the different insurance companies to see which |
| claims will eventually be made due to actions | | | | offers the best policy at the best price. The |
| occurring any given year, the premiums for | | | | cheapest medical professional liability policy is not |
| occurrence medical malpractice insurance are not | | | | always the best, as different policies cover different |
| necessarily cheaper in the beginning like they are with | | | | things. |