Do You Have a Gap in Your Med Mal Coverage?
Often, we here at MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com get calls from panicked physicians who have let their med mal insurance coverage lapse and are now currently practicing uncovered and exposed to serious liability. It may be that an office manager or the physician simply forgot to renew coverage, or that the physician assumed that they were covered by their employer and they were not.
Once a gap in coverage is discovered, it needs to be closed as quickly as possible for three reasons:
1. You would not be defended if a med mal insurance claim was made against you by a current or past patient (unless you had an occurrence policy, then, most likely, a past patient would be covered).
2. The insurance companies view gaps in coverage very poorly. Most admitted insurance companies would consider a gap in coverage to be a deal breaker and would often never cover such a physician. Many insurance companies look at a gap in coverage the same way they would look at a claim or a licensing issue. It is not to be taken lightly and often requires extensive explanation.
3. The longer the gap in coverage, the more expensive and more difficult it will be to get new coverage.
What should you do if you have a gap in med mal insurance coverage?
If you discover that you have a gap in coverage, you should act as quickly as possible. At MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com we have access to several companies that will cover a doctor with a gap and may even be able to close the gap and provide prior acts coverage –making it look like the gap never occurred.
You should:
1. Collect as much documentation from your previous insurance company as possible, including a certificate of insurance, a loss run or loss history report, and an explanation as to why you didn’t renew your coverage.
2. Complete a new application.
3. Discuss with your agent how he can market you as a good risk.
4. Stay calm. Expect that this process will take about 2 weeks.
It is possible to close a med mal insurance gap in coverage. Investing the time to go through the process will save you money and more time in the future.
