While doctors and healthcare professionals do everything in their capacity to treat a patient, sometimes situations can go beyond their hands. It is when patients or their families may or may not issue complaints against doctors under “medical negligence” and seek for claims. To safeguard reputation and legal costs and expenses, medical professionals often buy Doctor’s Professional Indemnity. However, only buying this insurance won’t help to mitigate such claims. Doctors must also understand the claim process under Professional Indemnity for doctors. This blog simplifies the claim process for Professional Indemnity for Doctors.
Insurance Claim Process For Doctors’ Professional Indemnity
The purpose of the Professional Indemnity for Doctors Policy is to provide appropriate support to the policyholder or insured to eliminate the potential loss that may occur due to legal problems. This insurance policy helps doctors and medical professionals to carry out their responsibilities and exercise their rights without the fear of harassment. As a doctor, if you’re willing to consider taking Professional Indemnity for doctors’ insurance, you should follow these steps:
- Contact the claim handler of the insurance company as soon as possible and let them know about the trouble you’re facing.
- If you get a legal notice, let the insurance company know about it right away.
- You will then get the claim information format from the claim handler, which you have to complete and submit. The details include the insurance company name, policy number, name of the Insured/policyholder, address of the policyholder, a brief outline of the situation, incident date, where the incident took place, the loss amount (approximate), contact number of the person, and name.
- Once you provide the claim handler with this important information, they will take the matter to the insurance provider.
- After reviewing the claim statement format, it will be registered by the company, and soon, they will provide you with a reference number.
- When you receive the reference number for the claim, a surveyor may be sent by the insurance company to examine the validity of the claim.
- If your claim is valid, the company will provide you with a form that you have to fill out and attach your signature and seal. You also have to attach some documents along with the form. These are Aadhar Card, PAN Card, Electricity Bill, Registration Certificate, and Address Proof of the Incident Site.
- It entirely depends on the insurance company whether a surveyor or a team of surveyors will be sent to the spot of the incident.
- You must also share details of the incident if there’s an ongoing court case related to it.
- When the court case is over with the judge’s final verdict on the compensation amount, the company will pay the policyholder as per the terms and conditions of the insurance claim.
Why is it Important for Doctors to Seek Professional Indemnity Insurance?
In the past few years in India, the cases of medical errors and omissions have increased. As per the statistics of the Journal of Medical Ethics, the cases have increased by 40%. The percentile of this situation in India marks the significance of Professional Indemnity for doctors. To neutralize the liability that may arise from medical negligence, doctors should purchase Professional Indemnity.
Professional Indemnity insurance is vital to safeguard the interests of medical professionals, especially doctors. This serves as a safety net for doctors against the liability and risk associated with the medical profession. Doctor’s Professional Indemnity usually covers medical errors or omissions, medical negligence, and malpractice. These are some incidents for which patients file complaints against doctors. With Professional Indemnity insurance, doctors can eliminate or alleviate such risks. This will allow them to work peacefully and live without any fear of bearing serious consequences.
Other than losing sanity, a doctor against whom a complaint of medical negligence or malpractice has been raised will face loss of reputation in their professional world. A patient will hardly visit a doctor with a bad reputation which will lead to him losing his source of income. To avoid all that from happening, seeking Professional Indemnity from a reliable insurance company is an ideal choice.
Conclusion
Professional Indemnity for doctors is a crucial policy that helps them work with confidence and without any stress. To protect yourself from the complaint of medical negligence, you must purchase this policy. If you’re under the Doctor’s Professional Indemnity policy, you should inform the company about the situation. Furthermore, you must submit the necessary information and form to seek the insurance claim.
There are various reasons why doctors seek Professional Indemnity. But choosing a reliable insurance provider can be a task. To safeguard the rights and reputation of Indian medical professionals, you have CoverYou.
- CoverYou is a dedicated insurance broker with IRDAI registration that serves the doctors’ fraternity exclusively.
- We have a strong network of over 10K medico-legal lawyers operating PAN India.
- Plus, we have a panel of 200+ senior doctors providing a second-level consultancy to the insured to uplift their confidence.
- Also, the issuance process for Professional Indemnity insurance is instant, thanks to the use of the latest technology.
- With CoverYou, Doctors will get 360° legal protection against medical malpractice or negligence claims.
CoverYou ensures an easy and hassle-free insurance process for medical professionals. Our dedicated in-house experts also offer support and assistance in every step of medico-legal matters.
