Right now, many policies held by Australian practitioners have been placed without adequate consideration or advice, which means in a time of need, the policyholder is often left uncovered and exposed to significant risk; financial and reputational.

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Many doctors deal directly with an MDO (Medical Defence Organisation) when securing their indemnity insurance, and it is common for them to retain the same provider throughout their career. Such loyalty is not simply attributed to policy satisfaction, but a perceived difficulty associated with changing providers. As we outline below, however, medical professionals should tread carefully when it comes to indemnity insurance, and quality advice plays a major role in this.

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WHY IS MEDICAL INDEMNITY INSURANCE ADVICE IMPORTANT?

Each MDO has a unique approach to both appraising the risk of its customers (doctors) and servicing them during a claim. From our experience at Honan, it is not easy for doctors to access clear and transparent information relating to all policy options available to them. Partnering with a broker helps to ensure all key information has been disclosed, and the policy offers robust, truly purpose-fit coverage for their role. Sadly, when challenged with this request, direct providers will typically refer their clients to the terms and conditions of the policy.

At Honan, we partner with medical indemnity insurers to provide outstanding protection and service for specialists. They are all backed by Government schemes including the Department of Health’s Run-Off Cover Scheme, High-Cost Claims Scheme, and offer ‘first time in’ private practice discounts, which remain with the doctor in the instance of transferring policies or moving providers.

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PREMIUMS FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS - CHANGES AFOOT

There are several upcoming industry changes set to impact premiums for doctors. As the Federal Government looks to reduce its support of certain schemes, our Honan team is here to provide clients with clear information, options, and advice.

Our clients in the Australian medical space have benefited greatly from our services which include:

• Complimentary market analysis – often identifying areas for improvement
• Advice on individual circumstances as a specialist
• No additional charges on insurance premiums
• Access to Honan Private Client team for personal insurance
• Clarity around retroactive cover and ROCS
• Yearly policy reviews on renewal
• Obtaining group discounts on insurance
• Free access to the EIDO Healthcare system which provides capabilities like information to be sent directly to patients pre-procedure, as well as digital consent functions. You can read more about the capabilities and benefits of this technology here.

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WITH YOU ALL THE WAY

To find out more about Honan can support you with your individual or practice-wide medical insurance needs, please reach out at any time.

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‍Trent Woodward

‍Head of Health & Medical

‍trent.woodward@honan.com.au

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