Many thanks to Heidi Moawad, MD, for her article that just appeared in Medical Economics. She interviewed several physicians and provides tips about malpractice coverage.
For employed physicians, malpractice insurance is a large and necessary expense. For employed physicians, malpractice insurance usually comes with the job, and there are not too many decisions to make. Locum tenens physicians will get malpractice insurance through their staffing agency, hospital, or sometimes procure it themselves. Because locum tenens physicians may work with different staffing agencies and in multiple states, they need to pay a bit more attention to make sure their coverage is complete and not interrupted.
The topic of malpractice for physicians is complex. In my book, "The Locum Life: A Physician's Guide to Locum Tenens," I dedicate two chapters to it: Chapter 11, "Malpractice-Avoiding Litigation," and Chapter 12, "Malpractice Insurance-Tail or No Tail." The information in both of these chapters is essential for locums docs as well as physicians in more traditional practices.
If you have a malpractice story to tell, I'd love to hear it. Please contact me through my website: www.andrewwilner.com. Thanks!