[building]
PGY1:
PGY2:
PGY3:
PGY4:
PGY5:
Hospital Committee Assignments
Logs (hours, procedures, cases (CPT requirements), NM therapies)
Evaluations (360 degree)
Scholarly activities
Poster
Portfolio
Conference/lecture attendance
Rotation requirements:
PGY1:
PGY2:
PGY3:
PGY4:
PGY5:
Hospital Committee Assignments
Logs (hours, procedures, cases (CPT requirements), NM therapies)
Evaluations (360 degree)
Scholarly activities
Poster
Portfolio
Conference/lecture attendance
Rotation requirements:
RSNA/AAPM Radiology Physics Educational Modules
General information
- Employment Contract Insurance[+]Understand physician employment contract insurance section PRIOR to signing contract.
Physician Frustration
I have seen many physicians in the situation where he or she is leaving a place of employment and is shocked at the realization that he or she is responsible for a large “tail” premium to cover him or her during the period that he or she worked at the facility.
In Oklahoma especially since 2004, the majority of physician medical malpractice insurance policies have gone from an Occurrence form to a Claims-Made form. This has caused many issues for physicians which is why it is important each physician understand his or her employment contract prior to entering into employment. He or she needs to understand exactly what coverage is being provided under the contract during employment and what is being provided under the contract post-employment. He or she needs to understand what are the “tail” obligations (if any) and which party is responsible for any “tail” obligations. There are many different ways to structure insurance needs for physicians that are employed by hospitals, large physician groups, small physician groups, and solo practices. It is imperative to be as proactive as possible as the ability to change the coverage structure after the initial structure is already in effect is very difficult. The leverage the physician had on obtaining the best possible insurance structure available will likely be diminished after the physician contract is signed.
Occurrence Form Malpractice Policy
Under an Occurrence form a physician never has any scenario where a “tail” or “extending reporting endorsement” would be needed as each policy year has a “built-in tail.”
For example, if a physician gets a notice of suit in 2015 because of healthcare services rendered in 2012, the physician would go back and look at his or her policy that was in force in 2012 and make a claim and find coverage under the 2012 policy. Each policy period is independent of the other policy periods and each annual policy provides indefinite claims reporting as the physician has coverage for the healthcare services that he or she rendered during that year and any claim can be reporting for services rendered during that policy period at anytime in the future.
Claims Made Form Malpractice Policy
Under a claims-made policy a physician has coverage for claims reporting during the policy period with respect to healthcare services rendered on or after the retroactive date. The retro-active date is extremely important as the retro date tells you how far back your current policy provides coverage for. If a physician keeps renewing the claims made policy the physician will continue to have coverage for any new claims occurring on or after the retroactive date that are reported during the policy period. A physician does not have a “built-in tail.” For coverage to trigger, the insurance company must be notified of a lawsuit or incident during an active policy year unless a “tail” is purchased.
The problem with a claims-made policy occurs when a physician is not able to continue renewing the claims made policy thus carrying forward his or her “prior acts” each year and the physician is responsible for the “tail.” Examples could be a physician going from a fellowship program in one state to a large physician group in a different state or a physician going from one employer to a different employer.
Questions to consider when looking at medical malpractice insurance:
1. Is the policy an occurrence policy or a claims-made policy?
2. If a claims-made policy, who is responsible for the tail should one be needed?
a. Does the tail have an unlimited timeframe for reporting new claims or does it have a time period limitation?
b. Is the tail a stand-alone insurance endorsement or is it a group product through a slot, fte, entity, or rolling policy?
c. If the employer goes bankrupt is the physician’s “tail” in force?
i. If so, how is this structured?
ii. With many healthcare facilities financially struggling this has become a important issue.
d. Does the tail provide a shared set of limits or a separate set of limits?
3. Does the physician have a separate set of insurance limits or is the physician sharing in a set of limits?
4. Does the “consent to settle” a claim rest with the physician, its employer, or the insurance carrier?
5. Does the physician’s policy cover him or her if he or she wants to work outside the scope of their employer?
6. Does the physician’s employer carry low limits?
a. If so realize the deep pockets may be the physician’s insurance policy not their employer.
