Physician Assistants should consider individual malpractice insurance because employer-provided policies often use shared coverage limits that may be insufficient in multi-provider lawsuits and frequently exclude protection for license board defense, moonlighting, or claims filed after you leave the organization.

Physician Assistant malpractice insurance typically costs between $1,700 and $2,650 annually for standard $1M / $3M limits, though your final premium is heavily influenced by your specialty’s risk level, geographic location, and eligibility for discounts such as those for new graduates or part-time work.

While both types are available to PAs, claims-made policies only cover claims filed while the policy is active and require “tail coverage” for future protection, whereas occurrence policies cover any incident that happens during the policy period regardless of when the claim is filed, eliminating the need for tail coverage but typically costing more upfront.

Tail coverage is a one-time endorsement, typically costing 150% to 250% of your annual premium, that PAs must purchase when leaving a claims-made policy due to retirement or a job change to protect against lawsuits filed after the policy ends for incidents that occurred while they were employed.

While Physician Assistants are sued much less frequently than physicians, their most common malpractice claims stem from diagnosis-related errors, which account for over 52% of all allegations, followed by treatment mismanagement, medication mistakes, and communication failures with patients or supervising doctors.

While most modern PA malpractice policies cover telehealth services within your scope of practice, you must verify that your specific policy includes a territory endorsement for the state where the patient is located and adheres to any carrier-specific platform or documentation requirements.

While the industry standard for Physician Assistants is $1,000,000 per claim and $3,000,000 aggregate, you may need higher limits if you work in high-risk specialties like surgery or reside in litigious states, whereas lower limits should only be considered if they meet all your contractual and hospital credentialing requirements.

Because supervising physicians can be held vicariously liable for your actions under the doctrine of respondeat superior, it is vital to carry an individual malpractice policy to ensure you have dedicated defense counsel whose interests aren’t compromised if the legal strategies of you and your supervisor diverge during a lawsuit.

While individual PA malpractice policies often include license protection coverage providing $25,000 to $100,000 for legal defense against state board or NCCPA investigations, this critical benefit is frequently excluded from employer-provided policies, making separate coverage essential for protecting your career against disciplinary actions.

Physician Assistants can access significant premium reductions through new-to-practice discounts (often 25-50% off in the first few years), part-time credits for working fewer than 20-24 hours per week, and 5-10% savings for completing risk management courses or maintaining a claims-free history.

Working with a specialized broker like Cunningham Group costs you nothing extra because agent commissions are already included in the standard premium, providing you with the same price as buying direct but with the added benefit of an expert who can shop multiple carriers to find the most competitive rates and comprehensive coverage for your specific PA practice.

State laws dictate PA malpractice insurance by establishing scope-of-practice autonomy, mandating specific minimum coverage limits for licensure, and in states like Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Indiana, requiring participation in Patient Compensation Funds that provide excess liability layers beyond your primary policy.

When reviewing an employment contract, PAs should verify whether the policy is claims-made or occurrence, confirm that limits meet the $1M / $3M standard, and most importantly, clearly negotiate who is financially responsible for tail coverage while ensuring the policy includes specific protections for license defense and telemedicine.

While PA students are typically covered by their educational program’s institutional policy during clinical rotations, you should verify whether your school requires you to supplement this with an individual student policy, often available at low or no cost through the AAPA, to ensure you are protected before transitioning to a professional policy upon graduation.

To get a PA malpractice insurance quote, simply visit the Cunningham Group website and provide your practice details such as specialty, location, and work status, so our agents can shop your coverage to all major carriers in your state and present you with a variety of competitive options at no extra cost.