Credentialing question

[sunlioness]

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So I left a large group practice and am starting out again as a solo practitioner. I am trying to get my address changed and all the insurers I am credentialed with, which is turning out to be a much larger pain than it has any right to be.

Anyway, I was filling out paperwork for United Behavioral Health today and one of the things they require is that physicians carry a malpractice policy with limits of liability of $1 million / $3 million. Mine is actually $500,000 / $1.5 million and it was the same at the group practice where I worked where I was credentialed with UBH. I am insured through the APA, but I realized that I still don't know much about malpractice insurance. What limits of liability do people tend to carry? Is the 1 / 3 more typical? And furthermore, why would an insurance company care about my malpractice insurance? UBH is the only one that even mentioned it.

 

[michaelrack]

I carry 1 million/3 million

 

[michaelrack]

And furthermore, why would an insurance company care about my malpractice insurance? UBH is the only one that even mentioned it.

Because if you are listed in the "UBH panel" and a patient is injured and sues you, he may get angry at UBH if you don't have enough malpractice to cover his injuries. If he gets angry and complains to his employer, that employer might cancel his company's contract with UBH.

 

[Doc Samson]

1/3 is fairly standard in my experience

 

[sunlioness]

That's interesting. Because when I was looking into this, I did all this reading and people were giving me advice mostly around the difference between "occurrence" and "claims made" and no one ever mentioned the limits of liability and I don't think I was asked what I wanted. It just came the way it came, and it happened to be the same as what I had previously when the group practice was paying for it. I guess I didn't do as much research as I thought.

Anyway, I have a call in to UBH to ask them about it because I was credentialed with them at the group practice with the same liability limit to see what gives with that. And I guess failing that, I will have to look into how much more it will cost me to increase my liability limit. Several of the patients I took with me have that insurance and I've acquired one or two since then so it's pretty important to me to continue to be in-network for them.

Edited to add: AHA! I just looked at my malpractice application. It's because I am in Pennsylvania. $500,000/ $1.5 was the only option I was allowed to choose. Nothing else was available in the state. UBH is a national insurer so I am guessing maybe PA is just different? Anyway, I have a call in, so we shall see.

$1,000,000/$3,000,000 (All states except: KS, LA, PA)
$500,000/$1,500,000 (PA ONLY)