Where do you get nursing liability insurance from?

RiskManager · May 27, 2015

NSO and Proliability are insurance agents. They are not the actual insurance companies. NSO places the insurance with CNA and Proliability places the insurance with Liberty Mutual. If neither CNA nor Liberty Mutual is writing correctional nurse liability coverage anymore, I am hardpressed to think what other carrier is still writing the coverage. CNA writes the majority of nursing coverage in the USA and Liberty Mutual is a distant second. I will look into this and see if I can find another company.

Tina, RN · Jun 11, 2015

NSO and Proliability are insurance agents. They are not the actual insurance companies. NSO places the insurance with CNA and Proliability places the insurance with Liberty Mutual. If neither CNA nor Liberty Mutual is writing correctional nurse liability coverage anymore, I am hardpressed to think what other carrier is still writing the coverage. CNA writes the majority of nursing coverage in the USA and Liberty Mutual is a distant second. I will look into this and see if I can find another company.

I'd be really interested in knowing, too. Thanks!

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Jun 11, 2015

I'd be really interested in knowing, too. Thanks!

What about this?

Ultra Correctional Health Program Insurance from Ultra Risk Advisors

lrdcn3 · Jun 24, 2015

As soon as I found out I passed the nclex, I contacted my insurance provider.....(not sure if I can say who but if I say there little jingle, my agent should appear), and got coverage on my license for 1 million dollars that is covered on my renters insurance....I'm not good with the whole legal insurance term but he told me that it was added under an umbrella of my renters. I pay an extra 130 a year that covers both my wife and my license. long story short, just call your insurance company and tell them you want to have your license covered. hope this helps

RiskManager · Jun 24, 2015

^^^You really need to very carefully read the endorsement/rider when it arrives. I have never heard of personal umbrella coverage providing any sort of professional liability coverage or healthcare professional licensure defense. The standard personal umbrella policy has specific exclusions for malpractice claims. The personal umbrella policy does add an additional excess layer of policy limits, typically one million dollars, for your auto and renters liability coverage, and primary coverage for libel and slander claims against you. I wonder if this is what you are thinking about.

lrdcn3 · Jun 24, 2015

^^^You really need to very carefully read the endorsement/rider when it arrives. I have never heard of personal umbrella coverage providing any sort of professional liability coverage or healthcare professional licensure defense. The standard personal umbrella policy has specific exclusions for malpractice claims. The personal umbrella policy does add an additional excess layer of policy limits, typically one million dollars, for your auto and renters liability coverage, and primary coverage for libel and slander claims against you. I wonder if this is what you are thinking about.

I will definitely read over it with my insurance guy (since he is my fishing partner) and have him break it down for me cause honestly, its really hard for me to understand it. I was actually just going to go with it until I just read your post. thank you.

elkpark · Jun 24, 2015

THere have been a number of posters here in the past who have said they carry professional Liability Insurance as a rider on their homeowner's insurance. I don't know the details of how that would work, or if the coverage would be as comprehensive as the coverage provided by an insurance company that specializes in professional liability coverage for nurses and other allied health providers (I've always been more comfortable dealing with companies that specialize in covering nurses). The standard policies offered by NSO and Marsh cover a lot more than simply paying a judgment against you if you get sued.

RiskManager · Jun 24, 2015

Anyone who thinks that they have healthcare professional Liability Insurance under their standard personal homeowner's policy or personal umbrella policy is probably wrong. There is an exclusion in the policy that applies. Almost all insurance policies written in the USA are based upon ISO standard forms. The Insurance Services Office (ISO) writes template insurance policies for insurance companies. This means that most insurance policies have pretty standard language, although an individual insurance company can and does modify the language to suit their needs or the legal or regulatory requirements of a given jurisdiction.

The typical homeowner's policy is written on ISO HO-3 forms. This form is designed to provide property and liability coverage for the homeowners so if your house burns down or someone trips on your sidewalk you are covered. There are other HO forms used in special circumstances but a sample HO-3 form can be found below:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iii.org%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fdocs%2Fpdf%2FHO3_sample.pdf&ei=DLyKVZTzH5e2ogS_4qH4Dw&usg=AFQjCNE4iQXYU6gVoeijSeABgPIBUYD4Fg&sig2=8Z0iBvldd26P-5PYcDkV9g&bvm=bv.96440147,d.cGU&cad=rjt

The â€˜exclusions' section is what you want to look at, and you can find the pertinent part on page 18 of the sample policy. â€˜Coverages E and F do not apply to the following: 3. Professional services: â€˜Bodily injury' or â€˜property damage' arising out of the rendering or failing to render professional services.' This exclusion means that any malpractice claims for you causing bodily injury to someone are not covered by this insurance. This exclusion of healthcare professional liability has been so interpreted pretty consistently by appellate courts across the country. A number of healthcare professionals over the years have sued their homeowners' insurance company in an attempt to get coverage and have been unsuccessful. This has also applied to other professionals, like accountants, lawyers or engineers who have tried to get their homeowners' policy to pay for a liability claim arising out of their profession.

Now, having said all of that, this is a big country, and it is possible that a particular insurance company may issue an endorsement or rider on the standard personal homeowners' policy that provides some level of healthcare professional liability coverage and modifies or removes the standard exclusion, but I would have to see that with my own eyes. You can get healthcare professional liability coverage on certain types of business policies or a business umbrella, but we are talking about personal lines here.

If anyone thinks that they have healthcare professional liability coverage via their personal homeowners' policy, then I would urge them to immediately write the underwriting department of that insurance company, with a copy to their insurance agent, asking for something in writing confirming that healthcare professional liability is a covered exposure under your personal lines homeowners' policy or any endorsements or riders. You cannot rely on your insurance agent or broker, since they generally do not have the authority to bind the insurance company to how the policy is interpreted. Only the insurance company can do that. You could also print out this message and ask your agent to comment.