Why Nurses Should Purchase Professional Liability Insurance

indest9By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Though many nurses pursue a career in nursing hoping that they will never face disciplinary charges, any number of events not in a nurse’s control can lead to an investigation or administrative action. Nurses need to make sure they are covered if this ever occurs, with appropriate insurance.

The primary reason that a nurse should purchase a professional liability insurance policy is that this type of insurance usually includes coverage for legal defense of licensing and disciplinary action commenced against a nurse.

License defense coverage pays the legal fees and costs associated with defending a nurse when an investigation is initiated that may result in action against her nursing license or disciplinary action against the nurse. Coverage is usually available from the time the nurse receives written notice that an investigation by a state agency has been initiated. It will also cover formal complaints made against the nurse, informal hearings before the Board of Nursing, and formal administrative hearings before an administrative law judge.

Such investigations, complaints, and administrative action may be opened based on events including patient complaints, hotline calls, Code 15 reports, nursing home and home health agency surveys, abuse investigations by the Department of Children and Families (DCF), newspaper articles, copies of lawsuits, and many other sources. It is far more likely that a nurse will be involved in one of these types of actions than being sued for nursing negligence.

Professional liability policies, which provide coverage for licensure defense, will usually provide compensation to the nurse for her out-of-pocket expenses (travel, postage, etc.) that she herself incurs, as well as lost wages because of working time missed for hearings, depositions, etc. However, the maximum coverage available under such policies for licensure defense is usually limited. to between $10,000 and $15,000. This amount will usually be sufficient to provide for most of the legal fees and costs involved in defense of such a case.

Does Vicarious Liability Actually Absolve the Nurse From Liability?

The assumption that vicarious liability or the legal doctrine of respondeat superior protects a nurse against a medical negligence claim is a mistaken one. If the employer provides legal representation, the attorney representing the nurse will almost always be the same attorney representing and being paid by the hospital or employer.

In many circumstances, the nurse may conclude that her interests are contrary to those of the hospital or employer, which could result in the attorney hired by the hospital withdrawing from further representation of the nurse. Additionally, it may be necessary for the nurse to raise evidence showing that the injury was caused by another nurse or hospital employee, in order to defend herself. It is doubtful that an attorney representing the employer or hospital would raise this defense since it would prove liability against the employer hospital.

Many employers will not provide legal representation if the matter involves licensing or disciplinary action against the nurse. This could force the nurse to fund all the fees and costs associated with her defense. However, some larger corporations with good risk management programs will provide the nurse with legal representation for such matters.

If you are an agency nurse, a home health agency nurse, a nursing home nurse, an independent duty nurse, or you are not employed by a large hospital chain, then you should consider nursing liability insurance mandatory. It appears that complaints of negligence against nurses working in these positions are far more likely. This may be because of the high turnover of nurses in some types of healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes), or because the nurse is no longer employed at the facility when the investigation begins (for example, in the case of an agency nurse). Additionally, agency nurses may only work in facility for a short period of time making them less familiar with the facility’s policies and procedures, and not a part of the permanent team of nurses who may have established relationships with each other and are more likely to cover for each other.

As previously mentioned, a number of different proceedings may be covered by the licensure defense coverage provided in professional liability insurance. These proceedings may include an investigation by the Department of Health based on a patient complaint or Code 15 report; an abuse investigation (abuse of a child, abuse of a developmentally disabled or vulnerable person, or abuse of an elderly person) by the Department of Children and Families (DCF); allegations of nursing negligence or abuse being investigated by a state “surveyor” by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA); an investigation into allegations of Medicaid over-billing or fraud; an investigation by the Agency for Health Care Administration or on the Attorney General’s State-wide Medicaid Task Force; and allegations of improper Medicare billing or fraud.

A nurse might be involved in a Medicaid fraud investigation, for example, in the case of an Advance Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) or Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) who has her own provider identification number and is allowed to bill as part of a group practice or independently. This might also occur, for example, in the case of a nurse working for a home health agency which receives its reimbursement for the nurse’s services from Medicare or Medicaid.

Cost of Professional Liability Coverage is Minimal

Nurses can purchase liability coverage rather inexpensively. For example, an excellent insurance policy providing coverage for nurses is available through the Nurses Service Organization (N.S.O.) for less than $100 per year. Professional liability coverage provided by this type of insurance represents a bargain at these rates.

Focusing on Protecting the Nurse’s Individual Interests

Perhaps most importantly, the nurse should have an attorney focusing on her interests only in defending her against any type of negligence or licensing complaint. A nurse with her own professional liability insurance coverage will be able to hire a separate, independent attorney, and often the insurer will allow her to pick her own attorney.

Important Considerations When Purchasing Liability Protection

When deciding on which professional liability insurance to purchase, the nurse should inquire as to the extent of coverage for licensing in disciplinary defense coverage. Some professional liability insurers have a “broad form” of coverage which may provide legal defense for the nurse in almost any type of administrative action. This might include, for example, defense of a discrimination complaint filed against the nurse with the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR) or the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and for Medicare and Medicaid complaints. Other companies limit coverage to only actions that may result in disciplinary action against the nurse’s license. The nurse should always attempt to get the broadest coverage available for disciplinary defense and licensure defense coverage.

Additionally, the nurse should inquire as to whether or not she will be allowed to select her own attorney. Many insurance companies have contracts with certain law firms to provide legal services on their cases for a reduced fee. The insurance company may require you to use one of its own contracted attorneys, or even one of its in-house attorneys which it employs directly. Given the limited number of attorneys with experience at handling nursing law issues and trying malpractice cases, the nurse should attempt to obtain coverage through a company which allows her to choose her own attorney.

The most important reason to purchase professional liability insurance is for the licensure defense coverage. A nurse does not want to risk losing her nursing license because she was unsuccessful at defending an investigation against her license or did not have the resources to do so. Since there are far more complaints filed each year against nurses’ licenses than here are nursing malpractice lawsuits, it is far more likely that a working nurse will need legal defense of a licensure complaint investigation.

For more information visit www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law.  He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice.  Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area.  www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

Your Professional Nursing License May Be Your Most Valuable Asset; Insure It!

5 Indest-2008-2By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Suppose you had an item that you really wanted but was very expensive.  Suppose this item cost you $80,000.  Perhaps you took out a loan in order to pay for the item.

Suppose in addition to paying $80,000 you also had to work for four years and contribute four years of your labor to help pay for the item.  For this example, let’s assume your four years of labor is equivalent to an additional $80,000.  Once you can afford the item, you will have invested the equivalent of $160,000 for it.

In order to protect this expensive item, would you insure it?  If this item produced additional income for you, would you insure it?  After considering the price tag of the item, and knowing you have achieved something few others ever do, would you insure it for its full value?

I think almost everyone would answer yes to the questions above.  I certainly would, and I expect you would too.

Yet, I am constantly contacted by nurses who have worked hard for many years, have paid tens of thousands of dollars in tuition, fees, books, and who have sacrificed in order to obtain a nursing degree and nursing license.  Yet, they have not purchased insurance to protect their hard earned licenses.

I am baffled at the number of nurses who come to us in serious trouble because a complaint has been filed against them by a former employer, vengeful co-worker, unhappy patient (or patient’s family), or disgruntled former spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.  Often the issues are complex.  The legal procedures surrounding administrative complaints and administrative hearings are certainly complicated and confusing.  Yet they do not have the savings to hire an experienced attorney to defend them, and they do not have insurance to cover their defense.

I’m not speaking of professional liability insurance when I am writing this.  I am speaking of insurance to cover your legal defense expenses in the event a complaint is filed against you, jeopardizing your nursing license.  A nursing license with discipline on it is like an old antique painting with a big hole in it; its value is greatly diminished.  A nursing license with disciplinary action is worth a lot less than one that is unblemished.  It is not as marketable as one with no damage on it.

In my experience, nurses are far more likely to have a complaint filed against them resulting in an investigation for possible discipline against their licenses than they are to have a professional liability suit filed against them.  That is why I say that you should purchase nursing liability insurance because of the professional licensure defense coverage it provides;  not because it pays in the event of a law suit.

Furthermore, given that most popular nursing liability insurance (e.g., Nurses Service Organization (NSO) Insurance, CPH & Associates Insurance) is very inexpensive (as little as $10 a month), it is foolish not to be insured.  You have an extremely valuable asset that could easily produce $2 million in income during your lifetime.  Don’t you think a hundred dollars a year is worth paying to help protect it?

This is why I stress buying nursing liability insurance.  Buy it now!  Be sure you are covered for at least $25,000 in professional license defense expense coverage and preferably more, if you can get it.  Buy two policies if necessary.  But buy it!  If you don’t, when you really need it, it will be too late.  You may lose that valuable asset you worked so hard to get.

Comments?

Have you dragged your feet in purchasing professional liability insurance? If so, why? Did reading this blog change your mind? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Representing Nurses.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys routinely represent registered nurses, nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, midwives and licensed practical nurses in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, in appearances before the Board of Nursing in licensing matters and in many other legal matters. We represent nurses across the U.S., and throughout Florida.

To contact The Health Law Firm, please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2014 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Think You Have Professional Liability Insurance Through Your Employer? Think Again, Nurse!

00034_RT8By Joanne Kenna, R.N., J.D., The Health Law Firm

Not a week goes by without a call coming into the firm from a nurse whose license is under investigation for some reason or another.  The nurse is generally dumbfounded that this has happened.  “But I’m a good nurse.  I never thought this could happen to me,” is the sad refrain.

Very often the nurse is correct.  He/she is a clinically good nurse.  Often there has never been any prior problem or any question of this.  But all it takes is one instance, just one violation that gets reported to the Department of Health (DOH), and the nurse is suddenly in the position of having his/her license investigated.  The nurse then has to defend his/her actions to protect the integrity of his/her license, and possibly even his/her ability to continue practicing, against the allegations of the violation.

Employer’s Insurance Coverage Protects the Employer, Not You.

Normally when a licensure investigation is initiated, the nurse is upset and angry, and is determined to do whatever is necessary to protect his/her license.  At this point the intelligent  nurse will usually start making telephone call(s) to seek legal advice and counsel.  Then comes the harsh reality.  Obtaining good legal services is expensive.  It can be very expensive.  Inevitably the question is put to the nurse as to whether he/she has insurance.  All too often the nurse responds that his/her insurance is (or more often at this point, was) through his/her employer.

Then more reality hits.   Often the nurse has already been terminated from employment by this point.  So, no insurance.  Even if the nurse is still employed, the nurse quickly finds out that the coverage he/she believed existed, and often was led by the employer to believe existed, is not really a policy for the nurse at all.  The nurse is “covered” under the hospital’s (you can substitute nursing home, clinic, etc., as applicable here) policy really only to protect the hospital’s interests.  Therefore, this “coverage” extends only to those situations and occurrences where the hospital might have liability.  (And even in that case the nurse should be wary because it is really the hospital’s interests that are being protected by the policy.   Where the nurse’s interests happen to be aligned with the hospital’s, all is good.  But where they are not, well, the hospital has coverage and its interests will be protected; as for the nurse, he/she is on his/her own).

What you should know is that the hospital’s insurance coverage is there to protect the hospital – – period.

Protect Your Nursing License with a Personal Professional Liability Insurance Policy.

You should also recognize that no nurse is immune from a professional liability claim.  No matter how conscientious and clinically competent the nurse may be, the potential for a professional licensure action always exists.   Day after day nurses forego legal representation when they are under licensure investigation because legal representation is unaffordable for them.  While some nurses get lucky and will have a good outcome in spite of this, many others will not.  The very idea of gambling with your nursing license that took so much effort to earn and is the key to your future earning capacity, is not only risky, it is downright foolish.

The truth of the matter is that all nurses should protect themselves by obtaining a personal professional liability insurance policy.  A good policy will provide medical malpractice and, very importantly, licensure protection coverage.  The cost on these policies varies, but it is generally quite affordable, often costing little more that $10 – $15 a month.

Licensure protection coverage provides the nurse with the ability to obtain competent legal representation from an attorney or a law firm that is familiar with handling licensure investigations and the disciplinary actions that can ensue from them.  Good policies will provide $10,000 – $25,000, and even more for legal expense.  Having this money available at the time it is needed allows the nurse to focus on his/her defense and provides the nurse the opportunity to pursue this defense all the way through the administrative process.  All too often the alternative is having the limited available funds dictate the nurse’s acceptance of an undesired resolution to the matter.

Be Smart, Get Professional Insurance Before it is Too Late.

So, if your independently wealthy, you can continue practicing without much concern about how you will be able to afford legal services for licensure defense if and when that becomes necessary.  If though you are not, and your answer to the question of whether you have insurance would be that you do through your employer, now is the time to start thinking about changing that.  Tomorrow just might be too late.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Representing Nurses.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys routinely represent nurses in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, in appearances before the Board of Nursing in licensing matters and in many other legal matters. We represent nurses across the U.S., and throughout Florida.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

Do you have personal professional liability coverage? Are you thinking about getting it now? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

About the Author: Joanne Kenna is a nurse-attorney with The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com  The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Avenue, Altamonte Springs, Florida 32714, Phone:  (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2012 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Nurses, No More Excuses: Get a Personal Professional Liability Insurance Policy Now-Part 1

Attorney George F. Indest III HeadshotBy George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

To protect yourself from automobile accidents, you carry auto liability insurance. To protect your home from fire, storms and other accidents, you carry homeowners’ insurance. However, I have noticed many nurses fail to carry any insurance to protect one of their most precious assets, their nursing licenses. Yet such insurance is cheap and easy to obtain. I cannot stress enough how important it is for a nurse to carry a personal professional liability insurance policy that covers any investigation, complaint or administrative hearing that might be filed or opened against a nurse’s license.

In my experience, I’ve heard every excuse as to why a nurse does not have a personal professional liability insurance policy. In this blog series, I am exploring those excuses. I want every nurse to understand the importance of buying personal professional liability insurance now, before it is too late.

Keep in mind that a great deal more nursing license complaints are filed against nurses than there are liability lawsuits.

Excuse: I Am a Good Nurse, I Don’t Need Professional Liability Insurance.

You may be a good nurse, but good nurses are the subject of lawsuits and complaints. All it takes is just one violation that gets reported to the DOH or BON, and the nurse is suddenly in a position of having his or her license investigated. The nurse then has to defend his or her actions to protect the integrity of his or her license, and possibly the ability to continue practicing.

The harsh reality is that legal representation is very expensive. Without insurance, even if the nurse is found to be not negligent, the nurse is still responsible for the attorney’s fees and expenses incurred during trial. However, professional liability insurance will protect the nurse in the event of a lawsuit, and it may also pay legal defenses in the event of a complaint against the nurse’s license to practice or for other legal problems.

Excuse: I am Covered By My Employer’s Insurance.

We hear this on a weekly basis. Many nurses mistakenly believe that their employer insures them for legal fees and costs associated with defending against licensure complaints, Emergency Suspension Orders (ESOs), Notices of Investigation, and Administrative Complaints. In the overwhelming majority of cases, this is false. Often it is the employer that files the complaint against the nurse that causes the investigation. If you are told your employer will cover you in such circumstances, ask for a letter in writing and signed by the employer stating that the employer will pay for your defense in any DOH or BON investigation or subsequent administrative proceedings that arise out of your employment. It is unlikely that you will get it.

When a nurse is “covered” under a hospital’s (you can substitute nursing home, clinic, etc., as applicable here) policy, that policy primarily protects the hospital’s interests. Therefore, this “coverage” extends only to those situations and occurrences where the hospital might have liability.

Check This Blog for More.

I will continue to explore excuses I hear from nurses as to why they do not have a personal professional liability insurance policy in later blogs.

It is my hope that after reading this you will look into purchasing your own professional liability insurance policy.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Representing Nurses.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys routinely represent nurses in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, in appearances before the Board of Nursing (BON) in licensing matters and in many other legal matters. We represent nurses across the U.S., and throughout Florida.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

Do you have personal professional liability coverage? Are you thinking about getting a personal policy now? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2012 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

Nurses, No More Excuses: Get Personal Professional Liability Insurance Policy Now-Part 2

5 Indest-2008-2By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law

Nurses, I am writing this to strongly encourage you to purchase your own professional liability insurance policy. I have noticed many nurses fail to carry any insurance to protect one of their most precious assets, their nursing licenses. Yet such insurance is cheap and easy to obtain. Professional liability insurance will protect a nurse in the event of a lawsuit, and it may also pay legal defenses in the event of a complaint against a nurse’s license to practice or for other legal problems. If you already have nursing liability insurance, make sure it also pays all legal expenses incurred in defending a complaint against your license.

I’ve heard every excuse as to why a nurse does not have professional liability insurance. In this blog series, I am exploring many of those excuses. I want every nurse to understand the importance of buying personal professional liability insurance now, before it is too late.

This is part two of the series, click here to read part one.

Excuse: Professional Liability Insurance is Expensive.

All nurses should protect themselves by obtaining professional liability insurance. A good policy will provide medical malpractice and, very importantly, licensure protection coverage. The costs on these policies vary, but it is generally quite reasonable. It is common to find professional liability insurance that provides excellent coverage and excellent benefits for less than a dollar a day. We’ve seen policies cost as low as $10 to $15 a month. That is a small price to pay to protect your livelihood.

Excuse: Licensure Defense Coverage Is Not Necessary.

When you buy professional liability insurance, again, it is very important you make sure it includes legal defense coverage for professional licensing defense and other administrative proceedings in an amount of coverage of at least $25,000. If it does not, I recommend you purchase a “rider” or additional coverage from that insurer for a small additional premium.  Also, attempt to obtain “broad form coverage.” This will pay for your legal defense costs for other types of regulatory and administrative proceedings such as: a) an internal hospital/facility peer review proceeding; b) a Medicare or Medicaid audit or investigation; c) a Medicare medical quality assurance investigation or review; d) an EEOC discrimination or harassment complaint or investigation; e) an alleged HIPAA privacy violation; f) a hospital clinical privileges action (if you have privileges); g) action to exclude you from the Medicare or Medicaid Program; or h) action to suspend or revoke your DEA registration (if you have one).  There are some insurance companies that sell professional license defense and defense costs and expenses for other types of administrative proceedings as a stand-alone insurance policy.

You should buy this coverage now, when you don’t need it. Otherwise, when you do need it, it will be too late.

Contact Health Law Attorneys Experienced in Representing Nurses.

The Health Law Firm’s attorneys routinely represent nurses in Department of Health (DOH) investigations, in appearances before the Board of Nursing in licensing matters and in many other legal matters. We represent nurses across the U.S., and throughout Florida.

To contact The Health Law Firm please call (407) 331-6620 or (850) 439-1001 and visit our website at www.TheHealthLawFirm.com.

Comments?

Do you have personal professional liability coverage? Are you thinking about getting a personal policy now? Please leave any thoughtful comments below.

About the Author: George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law. He is the President and Managing Partner of The Health Law Firm, which has a national practice. Its main office is in the Orlando, Florida, area. www.TheHealthLawFirm.com The Health Law Firm, 1101 Douglas Ave., Altamonte Springs, FL 32714, Phone: (407) 331-6620.

“The Health Law Firm” is a registered fictitious business name of George F. Indest III, P.A. – The Health Law Firm, a Florida professional service corporation, since 1999.
Copyright © 1996-2012 The Health Law Firm. All rights reserved.

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