Insurance..do i or dont i??

[infinityBA]

I was told by a few people that getting my own private malpractice insurance is a good idea. The cost isnt much $83 for the year.. for 1000000/3000000.
So i wanted to ask the veterans their take on it

 

[DrankTheKoolaid]

re

Never a bad idea. But don't ever let your employer know you have it and I really wouldn't let coworkers or anyone else know either.

 

[Medic Tim]

At my primary job(in Canada) it is a requirement to license. I also have it in the US for the volly gig. I hope I never have to use it but It is there just in case.

 

[infinityBA]

I guess at $83.00 per year its a good thing to have for "just in case"..

Thank you

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Prosecuting attorneys will go where the money is. If they find out you've got i.insurance the odds of your name being added to the list on the court summons increase drastically. If you invest in liability or malpractice insurance, absolutely no one should find out that you have it. Period.

 

[bigbaldguy]

You would be a fool not to have it in my opinion.

When you get sued the lawyers don't call and ask "do you have insurance or enormous fat stacks of cash lying around? Then drop the case when you say no. They file against you and then you go through 6 months to a year of pretrial hearings, depositions, and most importantly lots of out of pocket lawyer fees before you even get to the discovery phase where they find out if you have any assets or insurance. That means for up to a year you have to pay for all those costs yourself. If you have insurance all those costs will be paid.

Get the insurance.

Insurance through HPSO also covers claims of sexual misconduct while you're working against both patients and coworkers.

It covers you while your assisting off duty or volunteering at a football game.

It covers you if you give a neighbor medical advice.

It covers you if you're assaulted on duty and have to miss work (not in all states)

Go to the HPSO website and read all the stuff it covers in addition to malpractice.

 

[akflightmedic]

You would be a fool not to have it in my opinion.

When you get sued the lawyers don't call and ask "do you have insurance or enormous fat stacks of cash lying around? Then drop the case when you say no. They file against you and then you go through 6 months to a year of pretrial hearings, depositions, and most importantly lots of out of pocket lawyer fees before you even get to the discovery phase where they find out if you have any assets or insurance. That means for up to a year you have to pay for all those costs yourself. If you have insurance all those costs will be paid.

I am not speaking for or against it right now but my comments are more geared towards the usage of misinformed scare tactics to persuade. The above part which I quoted is an example of that.

I have been named in a lawsuit three times in my career. I have written about it here before. Each time after being named, I was subsequently dropped. Your EMPLOYER and your Employer's insurance are responsible for all the above named expenses.

I would not be spending a dime to defend myself, if it came to that I would have a lawsuit filed against my employer.

Also, I have found the process to be much shorter/quicker duration than what is listed above as well. That can all be dependent upon severity of claim and what area you are in.

In closing, if you have it--they will come after it. If you do not, they have no interest in pursuing you and trying to garnish your wages for the next 500 years.

 

[bigbaldguy]

I am not speaking for or against it right now but my comments are more geared towards the usage of misinformed scare tactics to persuade. The above part which I quoted is an example of that.

I have been named in a lawsuit three times in my career. I have written about it here before. Each time after being named, I was subsequently dropped. Your EMPLOYER and your Employer's insurance are responsible for all the above named expenses.

I would not be spending a dime to defend myself, if it came to that I would have a lawsuit filed against my employer.

Also, I have found the process to be much shorter/quicker duration than what is listed above as well. That can all be dependent upon severity of claim and what area you are in.

In closing, if you have it--they will come after it. If you do not, they have no interest in pursuing you and trying to garnish your wages for the next 500 years.

afk you are a near pinnacle level provider. You have worked for reputable companies that had your back. Remember many of the folks in IFT are working for companies with less than stellar track records who may or may not do things properly and may or may not have the kind of protections in place for their employees that you enjoyed. My perception of things is no doubt skewed by living in a city with over 300 IFTs many of which are fly by nights that open and close at the drop of a hat.

afk is right there is only a small chance that anyone of us will run into a worst case scenario that requires you to use your insurance. But small doesn't mean nonexistent. If you have absolutely no money, never will, have no chance of ever inheriting any, or earning any, and can afford to in a worst case scenario loose your license or cert (insurance pays to protect these as well) then don't worry about the insurance. Otherwise spend the equivalent of 10 Starbucks a year and get the coverage. 20 Starbucks if you're a medic.

 

[WestMetroMedic]

$85 is a deal.
I pay $50 a month to be on the union...

 

[Veneficus]

afk you are a near pinnacle level provider. You have worked for reputable companies that had your back. Remember many of the folks in IFT are working for companies with less than stellar track records who may or may not do things properly and may or may not have the kind of protections in place for their employees that you enjoyed. My perception of things is no doubt skewed by living in a city with over 300 IFTs many of which are fly by nights that open and close at the drop of a hat.

afk is right there is only a small chance that anyone of us will run into a worst case scenario that requires you to use your insurance. But small doesn't mean nonexistent. If you have absolutely no money, never will, have no chance of ever inheriting any, or earning any, and can afford to in a worst case scenario loose your license or cert (insurance pays to protect these as well) then don't worry about the insurance. Otherwise spend the equivalent of 10 Starbucks a year and get the coverage. 20 Starbucks if you're a medic.

If I could go back then and know what I know now...

I would have worked for McDonalds rather than an IFT company. Particularly the criminals I worked for.

Why take an IFT job that utterly wrecks your life, doesn't compensate you appropriately, and exposes you to risk of personal legal action?

There are not too many people who love what they do as much as I do, but something I have learned along the way is: You don't get anything at all for being the company scapegoat.

If your company doesn't operate above board, don't put yourself in the position of being the one to take the bullet for them. The contribution an IFT EMT makes is just too small to ruin your life over.

 

[webster44]

Prosecuting attorneys will go where the money is. If they find out you've got i.insurance the odds of your name being added to the list on the court summons increase drastically. If you invest in liability or malpractice insurance, absolutely no one should find out that you have it. Period.

Please provide reference

 

[bigbaldguy]

If I could go back then and know what I know now...

I would have worked for McDonalds rather than an IFT company. Particularly the criminals I worked for.

Why take an IFT job that utterly wrecks your life, doesn't compensate you appropriately, and exposes you to risk of personal legal action?

There are not too many people who love what they do as much as I do, but something I have learned along the way is: You don't get anything at all for being the company scapegoat.

If your company doesn't operate above board, don't put yourself in the position of being the one to take the bullet for them. The contribution an IFT EMT makes is just too small to ruin your life over.

This is excellent advice. You should never work for a company that doesn't take care of its employees and do the right thing.

Unfortunetly you don't always know if your employer is doing the right thing. Even a company that seems rock solid can buckle leaving you flapping in the wind. Just ask any former employee of Enron.

Companies can go belly up overnight. You assume your company is paying the premiums on their insurance but how do we really know? I've never gone in and asked to see my departments certificate of insurance. I doubt many of us have.

 

[Veneficus]

Please provide reference

res ipsa loquitur

 

[Veneficus]

This is excellent advice. You should never work for a company that doesn't take care of its employees and do the right thing.

Unfortunetly you don't always know if your employer is doing the right thing. Even a company that seems rock solid can buckle leaving you flapping in the wind. Just ask any former employee of Enron.

Companies can go belly up overnight. You assume your company is paying the premiums on their insurance but how do we really know? I've never gone in and asked to see my departments certificate of insurance. I doubt many of us have.

in the handful of rather questionable companies I have worked at. It was obvious in the first few days things weren't as advertized.

 

[mpena]

Is this type of insurance necessary if a provider uses the best personal judgement and provides the best medical care, and treatment according to laws/protocols? Shouldn't the best care and proper documentation be enough to defend one self in a courtroom? Not trying to be an a-h*le but really why be so concerned about having a malpractice suit against you?

 

[medicdan]

Is this type of insurance necessary if a provider uses the best personal judgement and provides the best medical care, and treatment according to laws/protocols? Shouldn't the best care and proper documentation be enough to defend one self in a courtroom? Not trying to be an a-h*le but really why be so concerned about having a malpractice suit against you?

Because it's a prudent thing to do. Be the best provider you can, do everything you can, but protect yourself for when things go wrong. You can do everything right and still get sued. The relative cost of insurance makes it worth it for many employees.

 

[Jon]

I guess at $83.00 per year its a good thing to have for "just in case"..

Thank you

Prosecuting attorneys will go where the money is. If they find out you've got i.insurance the odds of your name being added to the list on the court summons increase drastically. If you invest in liability or malpractice insurance, absolutely no one should find out that you have it. Period.

I carry it for "Just in case". If I never use it, so much the better.

 

[Medic Tim]

I carry it for "Just in case". If I never use it, so much the better.

This.

Where I primarily work we own our scope of practice/license 24/7 on and off duty (self regulated through our Paramedic association/ college of paramedics). There is no good samaritan law here. Because of this unique system we are required to have it as a cya.

 

[bigbaldguy]

in the handful of rather questionable companies I have worked at. It was obvious in the first few days things weren't as advertized.

Sure but you're freaky smart, for the rest of us shlubs it's not always so obvious