Liability insurance

Specialties NP

Published

Specializes in FNP-BC.

I work as an FNP in a small walk-in clinic. One of the managers has asked for a copy of my . Should I give it?

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.

Yes. You should provide them with a copy of the declarations page: the first sheet of the policy that lists your name, the issuing company, policy number, type of policy, etc. They don't need the actual policy itself, just proof that you are insured, and the dec page is that proof. I provide our dec pages all the time to various entities.

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

Yes, and retain copies of this because future employers require them for proof of coverage for credentialing purposes.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Okay - if they ask for the coverage THEY provide - THEY should have that info.

Otherwise, if this is your personal insurance, nope there is no reason for them to even know you have it.

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Specializes in Cardiology nurse practitioner.
Okay - if they ask for the coverage THEY provide - THEY should have that info.

Otherwise, if this is your personal insurance, nope there is no reason for them to even know you have it.

What a ridiculous thing to say.

OP. If you are in a clinic and provide your own insurance, of course they need to verify this. It is their right to know that you are covering the patients you see with . . In most states, you also have to provide it to the state, which is public information.

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.
Okay - if they ask for the coverage THEY provide - THEY should have that info.

Otherwise, if this is your personal insurance, nope there is no reason for them to even know you have it.

Oh, but there is: it may be needed for credentialing or privileging, the facility's insurance company may exclude the FNP from their coverage so that the FNP liability coverage is then primary and the facility is then paying less for their , or the healthcare insurance payor companies may need proof of insurance for all providers in order for that provider to get paid or to be on the payor provider panel. If you believe that someone should have their own liability insurance, why do you think that should be hidden?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Hmmm...I do see your point. However, as someone who went thru 7 years of hell over a suit, my practice had insurance on me and they had no reason to know I had private insurance as theirs covered much more than mine did - I had also checked with an administrative law attorney when I started this job and was assured that since I was covered under their policy I did not need to let them know of my own insurance. This was my situation only - I advise you to consult with an administrative law attorney in your state as getting such serious advice from strangers on the internet might turn out to bite you in the end....

When it came down to the lawsuit being filed, I did tell them - there were no repercussions, nothing except that I did have coverage for my licensing after the suit was settled.

The 7 years during this suit was probably the most stressful of my life and it still makes me sweat discussing it. We banter around about , but when it comes right down to it, no matter who you work for, they are out for them, not you. So...you need to protect yourself.

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Specializes in Healthcare risk management and liability.
Hmmm...I do see your point. However, as someone who went thru 7 years of hell over a suit, my practice had insurance on me and they had no reason to know I had private insurance as theirs covered much more than mine did - I had also checked with an administrative law attorney when I started this job and was assured that since I was covered under their policy I did not need to let them know of my own insurance. This was my situation only - I advise you to consult with an administrative law attorney in your state as getting such serious advice from strangers on the internet might turn out to bite you in the end....

When it came down to the lawsuit being filed, I did tell them - there were no repercussions, nothing except that I did have coverage for my licensing after the suit was settled.

The 7 years during this suit was probably the most stressful of my life and it still makes me sweat discussing it. We banter around about liability insurance, but when it comes right down to it, no matter who you work for, they are out for them, not you. So...you need to protect yourself.

And yet, at the end of the day, your employer's insurance covered you for the liability and patient injury caused by you or the other employees. Generally speaking, the insurance company would not have looked to settle if the standard of care could have been defended. The employer's insurance functioned exactly as intended for the liability coverage and I am sure the insurance company paid significant sums for the legal costs if the case went for seven years, if not also the settlement amount. Interesting how you interpret that as 'they are out for them, not you'.

Your subsequent licensure issues would be the stronger argument for an individual policy, since the employer's insurance does not cover you for that.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Thanks Risk Manager - actually the amt was "insignificant" in the words of the practice attorney. It dragged on for 7 years because first the attorneys left the practice, then a family member of the pt died and there was some wrangling (unsure how to word this) over who was going to take over the suit, then a second attorney left the practice.

And yes, I stand behind my statement that the hospital/practice are out for themselves as I have known several nurses and PAs that have been thrown under the bus when a suit settled and fired.

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We banter around about liability insurance, but when it comes right down to it, no matter who you work for, they are out for them, not you. So...you need to protect yourself.

The facility's insurer will not prioritize the nurse's interests over the facility's interests if the interests of both parties do not happen to coincide. Also, if the legal fees incurred are more than the facility's insurer provides, it looks to me as though the nurse would likely be responsible for the amount not covered. I would never practice as a nurse without my own , and I was taught to always carry my own insurance right from the first day of classes in nursing school.

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Specializes in Vascular Neurology and Neurocritical Care.

Exactly. Get your own. Because if you didn't follow hospital protocol on something they will throw you under the bus

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Yes. You should provide them with a copy of the declarations page: the first sheet of the policy that lists your name, the issuing company, policy number, type of policy, etc. They don't need the actual policy itself, just proof that you are insured, and the dec page is that proof. I provide our dec pages all the time to various entities.

The easiest thing to provide for proof of insurance is to show a Certificate Of Insurance (COI). It a one-page form that basically gives all the same data with today's date on it. That shows that your policy is still active and not canceled (for non-payment of premium).

I reviewed the aMMP program that allnurses has in place and it provides this COI that can be printed or forwarded as a pdf - quick and easy. https://allnurses.com/medical-malpractice-insurance/

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