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Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA) is a leading insurance brokerage that specializes in providing expertise in marketplace staffing. We have a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by marketplace staffing firms and we offer tailored solutions to help navigate all your staffing needs.
Marketplace staffing is changing the industry. Check out the resources below to help you better understand and navigate the specific risk management challenges of marketplace staffing.
Independent contractors' coverage requirements
Coverage considerations for staffing platforms
Certificate tracking of staffing platforms
Navigating the risk management benefits and considerations of platform staffing
Staffing Platforms as a Service (SPaaS)
Cyber liability: • 12 security controls recommended by cyber insurers • Cyber security assessments • Cyber Playbook Professional Liability: • Independent Contractor Portal Occupational accident: • Occupational accident insurance in the gig economy
MMA works alongside our clients to craft and execute programs that are results driven. Discover how we help healthcare staffing organizations overcome industry challenges.
Success stories from healthcare staffing organizations
MRMH Award Winner - The Judge Group
The Judge Group is a privately-owned, leading professional services firm providing technology, talent and learning solutions to businesses across the globe. We were thrilled to recognize The Judge Group as a MRMH Award recipient for their accomplishments.
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Emerging trends in healthcare staffing
The strategic competitive advantage of nurse-centric liability insurance
Navigating the gig economy: Independent contractor contract considerations for marketplace agencies
Checklists protecting temp workers
Incident reports documentation guidelines
Incident Reports Documentation Guidelines
OSHA 3735 Practices – Protecting Temp Workers
Protecting Temp Workers Best Practices for Host Employers
Here are helpful resources to ensure the safety of your workforce.
Management resources
Marketplace staffing association alliances
Navigating dual employment: Worker injuries and coverage ambiguities in staffing marketplace agencies
More Staffing Insights
Marketplace staffing marries technology with traditional staffing firm processes to drive productivity and scalability. It primarily focuses on providing a seamless mobile experience for candidates and automating repetitive tasks that are typically done by recruiters. Additionally, it enables workers to independently select work assignments, assisted by algorithms which optimize the matching experience.
What is marketplace staffing?
SIA Collaboration in the Gig Economy
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The Benefits of Temporary Nurses on Health Care Systems
Published on: August 8, 2022 | Jordan Markuson
It’s no surprise that the health care industry is facing worrisome staffing shortages. After over two years of a pandemic and demanding hours, nurses all over the world are still dealing with the blunt of dwindling mental health concerns. Additionally, these overworked nurses are causing a rise in medical errors, a decline in staff morale, a decrease in patient satisfaction and results, and ultimately higher expenses. The Labor Trends in Health Care The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 500,000 registered nurses will retire by next year, leaving a shortage of 1.1 million RNs across the country. In 2020, the median age of RNs was 52 years old with more than one-fifth suggesting their intent to retire over the next five years. Even
prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing shortages were common due to factors such as economic downturns, waves of retiring nurses, and increased health care demand. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the U.S. is projected to experience an even more intensified shortage of Registered Nurses (RNs) as Baby Boomers age and their need for health care grows. To address concerns around the on-going pandemic and changing patient demographics, more nurses will be expected to assist in areas such as telehealth, home health, long-term care, and outpatient care centers. Why Nurses Are Leaving As mentioned above, the stress and long hours nurses have dealt with over the past two years is exhausting the workforce. As nurse turnover rates are as high as 37% in some places, health care systems are struggling to fill the gap. Burnout combined with noncompetitive salaries and a lack of work-life balance are playing major factors into this unprecedented exodus from the industry. A Temporary Hire for a Long-Term Solution As healthcare organizations continue to search for ways to overcome the current nursing shortage, temporary nurses should serve as a conventional approach to this growing problem. Despite previous misconceptions that temporary nurses are more costly and less qualified than salaried nurses, there is growing evidence that this is simply untrue. Firstly, it is important for health care organizations to look at the full cost of employment, not just the cost of their salary. Temporary nurses are employed to fill staffing shortfalls and are equally compensated for their work; therefore, their costs should be compared to their salaried counterpart’s overtime pay rather than regular time. According to a recent survey of 100 senior hospital administrators, the average hourly cost of a salaried nurse is $6 per hour more than that of a travel nurse. Additionally, many of the costs paid for by the health care organization or hospital to employ salaried nurses, such as insurance, recruiting and certain payroll costs, are covered by the staffing firm when employing temporary nurses. Salaried nurse expenditures account for 76% of total costs when fully loaded, whereas payroll expenditures for travel nurses account for 98% of total costs. Secondly, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the quality is on par between temporary and salaried nurses. Studies show that the experience and educational levels of temporary nurses are equivalent to that of their staffed counterparts. For instance, a study a few years back uncovered that employing more temporary nurses does not affect patient mortality and actually helps mitigate problems caused by a nursing shortage that could otherwise increase mortality. Furthermore, a study of 427 acute care hospitals by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) found that whether the tending nurses were temporary or salaried had no bearing on how well patients were communicated with, managed their pain, or received prescription information. Next Steps Given that patient care quality and cost containment are major pain points for the health care industry, it’s important for these organizations to understand that their concerns can be alleviated with temporary nurses. Temporary nurses should be taken into consideration as a proven solution to staffing shortages. To learn more about the benefits of employing temporary nurses, be sure to contact an MMA representative today.
Professional Liability Tips and Tricks for Health Care Staffing Firms
Published on: November 2, 2021 | Tony Colucci
Jeff Sammons, OH Chris Pulos, OH
Chris Pulos’ large EH&B retail furniture client was looking for a competitive replacement on their management liability which was being non-renewed. The client asked Chris if MMA had a resource because their agent could not find an option. Chris introduced Jeff Sammons to their CEO and presented a marketing strategy using MMA’s carrier leverage and market access to find a competitive option. Unconvinced, the insured remained with their current agent. Over the following year, Chris and Jeff shared market updates and an audit of the insured’s entire program which uncovered several coverage deficiencies and that the current package had not been marketed in seven years. They presented these findings to the client who was impressed by their product expertise and aggressive marketing plan. The client awarded Chris and Jeff the business via BOR. The agency revenue was just under $50,000. Persistence and leveraging Chris’s strong relationship with the client were keys to our success.
Jon Trapp, IL
My biggest cross-sell client so far has been for Children's Home and Aid (CHA). While CHA initially onboarded as a P&C client, I took one of our meetings as an opportunity to bring up their current EH&B program knowing it would be a path of least resistance. I’m always tuned into the state of the not-for-profit industry and asked specific questions relating to CHA’s particular challenges, which got leadership excited to talk about EH&B. Because of my pre-existing relationship with CHA as their P&C broker, we had already built a foundation of trust that opened up the client for additional conversations about our offerings outside of P&C. They signed on to our EH&B services shortly after that meeting.
Words of Wisdom
Most of our competitors don’t have the BI benchmarking and data analytics tools that we have. Our ability to show prospects how they compare against their peers in areas such as limits, retentions and pricing is unparalleled and is an incredible tool to creating opportunity.
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Prior to making calls, collaborate with a BI producer or AE to gain confidence and increased understanding of available resources.
Year after year, our client survey results tell us that most clients are willing to refer Assurance. Use that feedback to confidently ask for an opportunity on their BI lines of coverage.
Anthony Way Senior Vice President & Team 14 Practice Leader
Marty Butler Senior Vice President & Team 13 Practice Leader
Ask for the referral from happy clients and be prepared to provide suggestions. What’s the worst they can say….No?
Develop a friendly, solid relationship with your service staff. On T13 we have had a long history of high employee retention and it’s no coincidence that our client retention rates are extremely high as well.
Lean into our senior living risk and claims management platforms. Our services, resources and expertise are unparalleled in the industry!
There is no time like the present to ask. If they’re a client, especially a new one, you don’t need to “prove yourself” you already have.
Don’t shy away from blue-collar/union risks. These could be large BI opportunities.
Michael Alberico Senior Vice President & Team 10 Practice Leader
Soft market or hard market, both present opportunities. Soft market is prices going down, have they experienced this? Hard market is prices going up, what is the broker doing to mitigate?
Don’t be shy about asking for the opportunity to review the overall insurance program. There are likely underlying issues you can jump on.
If your client has limited staff, offer up our risk services team/programs that provide internal support.
Be a good listener at client meetings. You may discover opportunities on other lines.
Alicia Mellish Senior Vice President & Practice Leader
In order to be successful cross selling – and I mean truly successful – you must have the proper level of expertise in the “other” discipline. It’s not sufficient anymore to “know enough to be dangerous.” I know this because I look at our most successful cross sell producers and they all have an advanced level of knowledge across disciplines that gains them credibility in the sales process and increases their ability to cross sell and close deals.
Don’t just rely on the relationship… meetings should have a purpose.
Tony Alberico Senior Vice President & Practice Leader
As the health care industry continues to evolve, health care staffing firms are often required to maintain more comprehensive insurance coverages by their clients, especially relating to professional liability. Here’s an overview of frequent requests and tips and tricks for your staffing company. Endorsements, Endorsements, Endorsements! The past few years there’s been an increase in requests for specific professional liability endorsements. Historically, the following have been in the realm of general liability, but are now becoming commonplace for professional liability as well. 1. Additional insured endorsement 2. Primary and non-contributory endorsement
It’s important to note that not all insurance carriers offer these endorsements. Endorsement requests to the carrier take on average a few days to several weeks to be issued. Some carriers will provide endorsement binders as interim documents for proof of coverage. Often, the client company will insist on the actual endorsement to comply with its insurance requirements, so this may delay the beginning of business operations with your client. A solution can be to request endorsements on a “blanket” basis, thus enhancing your speed of doing business. This means the health care staffing firm would be allowed to designate any/all clients as additional insured or provide coverage on a primary and non-contributory basis, if they agree to do so in writing prior to any claims occurring. This helps eliminate the possibility of the insurance carrier declining to include an additional insured endorsement to one of your clients, which may inhibit you from doing business. It also eliminates the days, possibly weeks, of follow-up to the carrier for endorsement issuance. Insured Versus Insured Exclusion An additional insured endorsement in favor of the health care staffing firm’s client (hospital) would then essentially name the hospital as an “insured” on the policy. This could potentially create an issue in the event a claimant (injured patient) files a suit against the hospital and the hospital then files a suit against the staffing firm to recoup the damages. However, most insurance policies don’t allow one insured on the policy to file suit against another insured. An example follows: • Hospital is added as “additional insured” by staffing firm • Staffing firm’s professional liability policy holds an “insured versus insured” exclusion • Staffing firm places a nurse at the hospital • Staffing company’s nurse is negligent in handling of a patient • Patient retains an attorney and files a lawsuit against the hospital • Due to the insured versus insured exclusion, if the hospital sues the staffing firm to recoup defense costs and damages paid to the claimant, the staffing firm wouldn’t be able to utilize their professional liability for defense costs or settlement since the hospital is named as an insured • Staffing firm then doesn’t have coverage under their professional liability policy due to the exclusion Although there’s a premium often associated with removing the “insured versus insured” exclusion, it’s imperative this exclusion is removed. It’s well worth the additional expense. The Sky Is the “Limit” The requirements for the limits of insurance on the professional liability continue to grow each year. Just a few years ago, the average norm was $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate. More recently, hospitals and other clients of health care staffing firms have been requiring on average $2M and $4M limits, respectively (this is an average; note your company’s limits might vary). What can most often relieve the need to constantly purchase increased limits of insurance would be to maintain an umbrella liability policy which includes professional liability on the schedule of underlying coverages. • Professional liability policy has $1M per occurrence and $3M per aggregate limits • Umbrella policy has a $1M limit and includes professional liability on the underlying schedule • Combined professional liability limit would then be increased to $2M per occurrence and $4M aggregate limits As long as the umbrella policy is written to “follow form”, it’ll follow the coverage enhancements of the professional liability policy included within the underlying schedule. Thus, the staffing firm would be able to comply with all clients who require a $2M/$4M limit, even though their actual professional liability policy has a $1M/$3M limit. These are just a few of the intricacies that can help a health care staffing firm in obtaining new business contracts. As the health care industry is rapidly moving to the model of employing their health care personnel through staffing firms, it’s essential your company have these items negotiated ahead of time with your insurance carrier, so you can move as quickly as your clients would prefer. For more information, contact a member of the MMA Team.
5 Liability & Exposure Considerations in Health Care Staffing
Published on: September 26, 2022 | Tony Colucci
In the eyes of an insurance carrier, temporary and contract staffing tend to create distinctive situations, challenges, and opportunities. And, with each industry segment within staffing, insurance carriers will specifically structure coverage forms, terms and conditions, and premium pricing that will determine whether an organization fits within their risk appetite. Let’s unpack the complexity of these areas specific to the healthcare segment of staffing. Exposures fall into five categories: Professional Liability – Healthccare staffing agencies are responsible for credentialing and screening placed employees, but often the client contract will designate the healthcare staffing agency as the responsible party if an error is made by their clinical professional (partial or exclusive). Client contracts may include indemnification wording that strongly (or entirely) favors the
client company, and transfers some or all financial risk to the staffing agency. It is imperative that the healthcare staffing agency’s professional liability policy include “vicarious liability” to cover the mistakes or inaction of the medical providers they employ. Cyber & Privacy Liability – Although Cyber and Privacy Liability coverage may be required by client contracts, it is crucial health care staffing agencies maintain such coverage to protect their own bottom-line. Regardless of hosting data “in the cloud,” in the event of a data breach, it is the responsibility of the staffing agency to protect internal records (employee name, address, SSNs, etc). This risk also comes from mishandling a patient’s medical chart and client contracts may determine your agency to be responsible for some or part of a breach of data privacy if your employee is involved. Ensuring contractual obligations are balanced is imperative. If the data is stolen or compromised, it is the staffing agency’s responsibility to cover costs for: • Notification • Forensic and legal costs • Business interruption and system damage • Cyber extortion, and/or • Social engineering The most crucial piece to internal exposure is building strong network controls and training employees to avoid data breaches as a result of human error. Your insurance broker should assist and provide a list of controls that Cyber Liability underwriters recommend (require) to be in place. Abuse & Molestation – Unfortunately this sort of occurrence/accusation is happening at a more frequent rate in the health care industry. The cost of legal defense and awarded damages may breach costs of 6- or 7-figures. Many insurance policies will sub-limit or exclude coverage for such actions, so it is imperative to understand what coverage is afforded within your insurance policy. Employment Practices Liability (EPLI) – The frequency of claims for health care staffing (higher skill/higher wage employees) is less than that of industry segments with lower skill/lower wage employees. The highest payout for EPLI claims is higher given the annual income of the employees. This coverage protects your clinical professionals if harassed or mistreated by colleagues, employees of the client company, and even 3rd party vendors or customers of the client company. The best defense is found in your organization’s employee handbook and should include the protections you afford to your clients within contractual agreements. If an employee files a lawsuit against your client for damages, the contract could point to indemnification language that pushes that liability back onto the staffing agency. This is exceptionally harmful if your EPLI policy does not include “client coverage,” as your insurance carrier may deny coverage or require your organization be named in the lawsuit to have insurance coverage respond on your behalf. Workers Compensation (specifically, assault against an employee) – Health Leaders Media noted that in Q2 2022 alone there were over 5,000 nurses which filed reports of assault while on the job and your organization (and employee) has essentially no control over, but an increasing exposure. This can be exceptionally punitive for health care staffing organizations who participate in a loss sensitive plan such as a retrospective, large deductible, or captive program. Proper employee training to identify and avoid situations that can result in assault is key to keeping your clinical staff safe and reduce Workers’ Compensation claims as a result. Just as the industry is rapidly evolving, the landscape of risk is changing as well. It is imperative to remain in contact with a risk advisor to ensure your contractual obligations are met, your insurance policies will respond to your obligations, and your employees remain safe. The areas that underwriters focus on are the same areas your attention should be on – not only will it enhance your bottom-line, but more importantly it will ensure the health of your employees, organization, and other stakeholders.
How Health Care Staffing Companies Can Improve the Candidate Experience
Published on: July 9, 2021 | Tony Colucci
Whether your health care staffing firm maintains its contracts directly with clients and/or through a VMS/MSP channel, in today’s scarce labor market there are a limited number of strategies to deploy to attract and retain talent. Aside from the obvious concept of offering your candidate a pay raise, how else can a staffing firm secure its talent? Best-in-class health care staffing companies make their candidate experience a priority. In today’s economic landscape of record-low unemployment and record-high job growth and turnover, a candidate’s experience can make or break your talent acquisition and retention efforts. The demand for skilled clinical talent is high and candidates will rarely settle for a mediocre experience.
Whether a candidate is in the application/interview process, or has accepted and completed a specific contract, there are several areas that affect their experience: • Company culture • Application process • Credentialing/onboarding process • Benefits and perks • Wellness programs Let’s take a deeper dive into the last two bullets: 1) benefits and perks and 2) wellness programs. Benefits and Perks It’s important to determine what benefits and perks will be meaningful for your audience prior to implementation. Employee surveys and your insurance broker are great resources for what’s trending in the marketplace. Once implemented, highlight these benefits and perks on your website and various other recruiting sites. Internal recruiters should also be well-trained on how to adequately explain the value these benefits can provide to the overall compensation package. Here are just a few ideas to differentiate your offerings from competitors: • Provide first day coverage • Increase employer contributions toward insurance premiums • Offer unique, industry-specific voluntary benefit options for more personalization: Pet insurance, Student loan reimbursement, Small personal loans, Legal insurance, Identity theft protection • Leverage Health Savings Accounts for greater control over premiums and health care usage • Implement a rewards program that recognizes positive, healthy behavior • Implement employee engagement and appreciation platforms to boost morale • Offer days off for volunteering and/or a charitable match • Provide internal staff with greater flexibility, including unlimited paid time-off Wellness Programs Wellness programs improve the health of your population, which can lower claims costs especially for companies planning to or already in a self-funded benefits plan. While it can be tough to institute a wellness program for a dispersed workforce or multiple locations, here are some ideas for both your internal & external staff: • Use biometric screenings to implement programs and education specific to your population’s health demographics and potential chronic illnesses • This can be done on-site or at local testing centers for dispersed employees: Screening data can help identify potential claims for self- funded plans, Promote the insurance carrier’s perks, which often include discounted gym memberships across the U.S. • Use your insurance broker for employee health education and content • Implement an online points-based wellness portal to track employee progress, create healthy lifestyle habits, and offer rewards for reaching measurable milestones Overall Candidate Experience Why invest in a “best-in-class” candidate experience? Compare the costs of your investment to the lost revenue from candidates that signed with a competitor, as well as the loss of opportunity to then re-deploy that candidate after their first assignment is completed. Losing out on candidates severely increases your costs to recruit additional talent. After all, the most powerful way to promote your company is through word of mouth.
3 Workers’ Comp Policies for Your Health Care Staffing Organization
Published on: June 16, 2023 | Heather Kirchhoff
Workers’ compensation is an essential insurance coverage every health care staffing company needs. There are a few different types of workers’ compensation policies available, so it’s important to know the difference between each one to find the program that best fits your organization’s needs. Below are three different workers’ compensation policies available through standard markets: Guaranteed Cost A guaranteed cost workers’ compensation policy is one of the most common and basic policies available. With a guaranteed cost policy, the premium is known and will not fluctuate based on claim activity. Some pros and cons of a guaranteed cost policy are:
• Fixed cost is known up front and will only change at the end of the policy based on a payroll audit • No collateral is required • Claim activity will not have an impact on premium • There's not as much risk • Experience mods directly impact premium in either a positive (less than 1.0) or negative (greater than 1.0) way Large Deductible A large deductible policy is a type of loss sensitive program where the insured retains a certain amount of each loss up to the per claim deductible or policy aggregate. Here’s what you need to know: • Significantly lower pay-in than a guaranteed cost policy • Collateral is required usually in the form of a LOC • Strong risk management programs help control claims and ultimately policy cost • Good for cash flow as pay-in is lower and losses are reimbursed on a monthly basis to the carrier, up to the per claim deductible or policy aggregate, as they are paid out which could be over the course of a couple of years; claims are reimbursed to the carrier until all claims are closed out or the aggregate has been reached • Potential for a lower ultimate premium than a guaranteed cost policy if claims are kept under control • If no deductible aggregate on the policy, the premium could be unlimited Retrospective Rating A retrospective rating policy (retro) is another type of loss sensitive program where the premium is adjusted on an annual basis, subject to a specified minimum and maximum premium, based on the claim activity. Some main differentiators are: • Up front pay-in is higher than a large deductible, but lower than a guaranteed cost policy • Usually little to no collateral is required • Unlike a large deductible program where losses are reimbursed as they are paid out by the carrier, the premium is adjusted on an annual basis based on the losses as of a specific date; this can result in a large additional premium being due at one time; the policy is adjusted every year until all claims are paid out, or the policy reaches maximum premium • Potential for a lower ultimate premium than a guaranteed cost policy if claims are kept under control • Incentive to have a strong risk management program in place to help control claims and ultimately policy cost Contact an MMA representative to learn which workers’ compensation policy best suits your health care staffing organization.
How Can Your Health Care Staffing Company Prepare for a Recession?
Published on: April 3, 2023 | Jordan Markuson
While predicting the timing of a recession can be difficult, great companies get stronger in times of uncertainty and embrace being nimble and adaptable. They are quick to pivot strategies, innovate, and adapt to changing market conditions. These companies learn how to gain more customers and talented employees from competitors. Great companies are also fiscally responsible, understand the importance of having a strong balance sheet, and managing finances wisely. During tough economic times, they are able to weather the storm because they have taken the necessary precautions to ensure financial stability. Here are the ways your health care staffing company can prepare for a recession:
Secure Financing Before You Need It: Throughout the course of a recession, staffing companies may need to ask for financial help, even if it’s expensive. Don’t think of this as a sign of failure. Instead, try to get ahead of the curve by securing financing before you need it. You’re much more likely to be approved for a business line of credit when your company profits are going well, so do what you can to qualify. Reduce Unnecessary Expenses: One of the best ways to prepare your business for a recession is to carefully examine your expenses. As early as possible, look for any areas where business expenses can be reduced. Reviewing your Medical Liability and Employee Health & Benefits insurance can reduce your expenses and streamline the administration burden, resulting in significant savings. Engage Recruiters for Opportunities: Recruiters are heavily integrated in the front-line operations of your business. This means they’re often first to run across emerging opportunities or recognizing potential threats. Consider turning to them for ideas that could lead to fueling growth for the future. Every recession presents a unique opportunity for staffing agencies to expand and diversify their offerings. Offer Financial Tools to Employees: While it’s unlikely that small businesses entering a recession may be able to provide further financial help to their workforce, resources and guidance can go a long way. Some employers offer financial tools as a part of their benefits and wellness offerings, such as retirement or 401(k). If your company has this type of assistance available, tell your employees how to access it. These are often overlooked resources that you can promote to your employees. Leverage Technology for Efficiency: National demand for travel nurses increased by more than five-fold during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic requiring new operational strategies and technology that could scale with the increased job volume. Explore the marketplace to ensure your firm has the best tools in place to support recruiters and reduce redundancy in their roles. Hard economic times is inevitable, but it is important how your company prepares and adapt to these pivots that can create a stronger workforce. Contact your local Marsh McLennan Agency broker to discuss more ways to prepare and navigate your health care staffing company during a recession.
The Essential Role of Malpractice Insurance for Independent Contractors
Published on: October 2, 2023 | Jordan Markuson
The dynamic world of independent nursing and staffing registries offers unparalleled flexibility but also requires a keen understanding of professional risks. Having your own malpractice insurance policy and being listed as the named insured is more than a precaution; it's a strategic necessity. Especially for those working as independent contractors or with various staffing companies, personal liability insurance provides control and peace of mind. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the key benefits: Avoiding Shared Limits: Employer-provided policies may have shared limits among multiple practitioners. Having a personal policy ensures that the nurse has dedicated coverage limits that are not affected by claims against other professionals.
Personalized Coverage: A personal policy allows the nurse to tailor coverage to their specific needs, practice areas, and risk factors. It ensures that the policy is aligned with their unique professional situation. Continuous Protection: Being the named insured ensures continuous coverage, regardless of changes in employment, gaps between assignments, or variations in employer-provided coverage. It offers protection that is not tied to a specific employer or facility. Control Over Defense: With a personal policy, the nurse often has more control over legal defense decisions, including the choice of attorney and the ability to reject settlement offers. This can be crucial in protecting professional reputation and licensure. Supplemental Coverage: A personal policy can provide supplemental coverage that fills gaps or extends beyond the limits of employer-provided insurance. It can cover scenarios that might be excluded or limited under a group policy. Portability: Being the named insured on a personal policy means that the coverage is portable and follows the nurse from one job to another. It provides consistent protection across different facilities, states, or practice settings. Personal malpractice insurance isn't just a safety net; it's an essential tool for nurses seeking to excel in their profession. From controlling your legal defense to avoiding shared limits, a personal policy puts you in the driver's seat. Why settle for less when you can have coverage that moves with you, adapts to your needs, and protects your hard-earned reputation? Discover the coverage that's right for you and empower yourself with the confidence that comes from knowing you're protected. Invest in your future today. To learn more on malpractice insurance, contact a Marsh McLennan Agency advisor today.
License to Heal: Protecting Your Nursing Credentials from Legal Pitfall
In the demanding and complex world of health care, nurses stand as the backbone of patient care, compassionately attending to those in need. Yet, the very nature of this vital profession exposes nurses to a myriad of legal and ethical challenges that can lead to disciplinary or license actions. From medication errors to patient neglect, and from privacy violations to unprofessional conduct, the potential pitfalls are numerous and often fraught with complexity. Additionally, these types of allegations may not be covered by your agency’s insurance policy – leaving you on the hook. This article delves into the real-life cases and scenarios that have led to disciplinary actions directly against nurses, offering insights into the legal landscape, the common triggers, and the preventive measures that can be taken. Whether you're a seasoned nurse, a
seasoned nurse, a nursing student, or a health care administrator, understanding these issues is essential to safeguarding your career, upholding professional standards, and continuing to provide the highest quality of care to those who depend on you. Medication Errors: Mistakes in administering medication, such as wrong dosage or wrong patient, can lead to serious consequences for patients and may result in disciplinary action against the nurse involved; including jail time! Patient Neglect or Abuse: Allegations of neglecting patient needs or engaging in abusive behavior can lead to investigations and potential license suspension or revocation. Documentation Failures: Inaccurate or incomplete documentation of patient care can lead to misunderstandings, medical errors, and legal issues, resulting in disciplinary actions. Substance Abuse: Nurses struggling with substance abuse may face disciplinary actions if their behavior affects patient care or workplace safety. Violation of Patient Privacy: Unauthorized access to or sharing of patient information can lead to legal issues and disciplinary actions under laws like HIPAA in the United States. Practicing Without a Valid License: Working without a current, valid nursing license or outside the scope of practice can lead to legal consequences and license revocation. Criminal Convictions: Convictions for crimes, especially those related to patient care or workplace conduct, may result in license suspension or revocation. Unprofessional Conduct: Behaviors deemed unprofessional, unethical, or in violation of professional standards and codes of conduct can lead to disciplinary actions. The risks and responsibilities borne by nurses are immense. The exploration of real-life disciplinary actions and license challenges underscores the vulnerability that even the most diligent and skilled nurses may face. While employer-provided coverage may offer some protection, the potential gaps and limitations can leave nurses exposed to potentially career-altering consequences. The ultimate finding of this investigation is clear: every nurse should consider a medical malpractice policy in their own name, so they have control over their own defense. Such a policy serves as a personalized shield, tailored to individual needs and providing a robust safety net. It's not merely a matter of legal compliance or financial security; it's about professional integrity, personal peace of mind, and the continued ability to serve patients with the excellence and compassion that define the noble profession of nursing. Investing in one's own malpractice insurance is a proactive step in nurturing a resilient and fulfilling nursing career, just in case the unforeseen occurs. To learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact a Marsh McLennan Agency advisor.
