The Easy Guide to Mental Health Professional Liability Insurance
Mental health professionals, like
other health care workers, need to have professional liability
insurance. This insurance protects you against lawsuits, because
no matter how well you perform your duties, there is always
the chance of being sued. Even suits without any grounding require
time and money that you can’t afford, and as more and more lawsuits come onto the
scene, so does your need for liability insurance. Even if the
law doesn’t mandate liability insurance for your particular
profession, you can stand to benefit from the protection that
it offers. Professional liability insurance can save you a lot
of time, money, and stress in the case of a wrongful suit against
you.
Litigation against mental health
professionals has increased significantly in recent years. More
and more people are choosing to sue over real or imagined problems
with the care they receive. Failure or negligence in the provision
of your mental health services could result in the court awarded
damages to the plaintiff – money
that you can’t afford to spare. Professional liability insurance
covers these cases, as well as the legal fees in cases of wrongful
suits brought against you. If you work in a high risk field, such
as drug counseling, the chances of being sued are higher, but
even low risk fields are in need of professional liability insurance.
When looking for mental health professional
liability insurance, be sure to examine the providers you’re interested in. Different
insurers offer a wide range of coverage at vastly different rates.
As with all kinds of insurance, if you’re looking for a
good rate and a good plan, the best way to find them is to scout
around. Collect information from the websites of all the providers
that interest you, and compare them. Many sites offer quotes online,
making it even easier for you to tell which is the best provider
for your mental health liability insurance.
Professional liability insurance
is something that no mental health care professional should
be without. It protects you in case of error or wrongful suit,
and prevents you from finding yourself in a bind over legal
fees. You should carry at least the standard amount of coverage
required by your state – your
insurance agent should be able to tell you just what that number
is. The actual required amount of coverage varies by location.
You do not have to be licensed to receive mental health professional
liability insurance. Some fields do not require licensure, and
are thus exempt from this requirement. Postdoctoral candidates
who are working towards their license can also be covered. Your
insurance provider will, however, require that you comply with
all applicable laws in relation to your professional practice.
You may be able to receive discounted insurance through professional
associations, such as the American Psychological Association.
These organizations may have their own requirements to receive
liability insurance, in addition to those already stated, but
they can often provide this important insurance at a greatly reduced
rate to their members.