This past winter I found a posting on GasWork.com for an anesthesiologist to cover a small gastroenterologists office that happened to be a half-mile from my home. They needed coverage 2 days per month.
- Where could I buy my own plan?
- Can I scale down full-time coverage to just 2 days a month?
- What do you do when you have a per diem need for medical malpractice as a physician anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist (crna)?
Overview and Resources for Medical Malpractice Insurance
The basics regarding the need for generous medical malpractice insurance, state-specific and specialty-specific coverage nuances, tail coverage strategies, and the rest are best discussed elsewhere.
I specifically recommend the following resources to educate yourself further:
Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Success Podcast
The Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Success podcast offers much to learn not only for anesthesiologists, but for all clinicians more broadly. On the topic of medical malpractice specifically check out this episode:
Most locum tenens opportunities include medical malpractice insurance either provided by the client hospital/practice/group or by the locum agency itself.
But for someone looking to staff a small practice a handful of times per month, like my local GI office, what options are there?
But Is There a Per Diem Malpractice Insurance Option?
I found just one option specifically for anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists: Nationwide Anesthesia Services, Inc. (NASI) Per Diem Malpractice Insurance. They promise an “A rated claims-made policy with built in tail coverage.” Their credentialing department can turn a completed application around for approval in “approximately 2-3 business days.” They do require multiple letters of recommendation from within the past two years of association. There is an annual credentialing fee of $150 and a fee per day worked of $175 as of Summer 2023.
Coverage by a staffing company does seem concerning. So I spoke to the contacts at NASI and confirmed that the policy is underwritten by a major A rated insurance carrier (at the time of this post I can’t remember the company from that phone discussion). I was satisfied after a phone call with their contact and had all my questions answered. I suggest you do the same if you are interested.
- The NASI Credentialing Team
- Amanda Griffin
- 877-844-2057
- [email protected]
Full disclosure: I did not end up pursuing the local GI office job because of poor suggested compensation. And so I never applied or used the NASI Per Diem Malpractice coverage. But I’m glad to know that it exists, even if it is relatively expensive, just in case an opportunity or need arises.
(December 2023 Update: I have at least 1 personal friend going through the process of obtaining NASI Per Diem coverage and I will give his testimony when the process is complete.)
Also, If you aren’t familiar with The Unwritten Rules of Locum Tenens read that short article now.
Whenever you’re ready to consider a different path, reply to this email [email protected] or message me directly on the socials here:
Tell me how I can help your specific situation and find a way for you to take control of your time.
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