medical malpractice insurance

[Patchie]

hi guys,

I'm in 4th yr @ Monash, and I'm planning my elective for next year. I've been in touch with NYU - I'm pretty keen on doing a plastics rotation there.

I'm wondering if anybody on here could let me know of any companies that would provide medical malpractice insurance for a visiting medical student? On a monthly basis? One company I've been in touch with, will only sell me a yearly policy, which starts at 1200 dollars! Which is pretty ridiculous, seeing that I'm only there for a month!

I have included with my 'pre-application' form a short note asking them at NYU if they had any recommendations, however, if this becomes too much of an issue, I'm happy to go to Southwestern in Dallas as I only have to pay $25 for insurance there thru the uni.

If anybody could give me a heads up, that'd be awesome

cheers

Trent

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[pitman]

Won't your insurance at Monash cover you? Be sure to check if you haven't already.

 

[Winged Scapula]

I agree with pitman - check and see if Monash will cover you (although most med defense companies will balk at covering in North America).

However, even if they don't there are tons of US programs which will cover you for a nominal fee - I can't fathom paying for coverage yourself. There are several threads devoted to this issue in the General International Forum - a search may turn them up for you.

 

[Patchie]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Monash will cover us everywhere EXCEPT for the US and Canada. In a letter we received from the Uni, they said they provide it for us, but when I checked with an admin person today, they said the US is generally not covered.

I called 1 place in NYC, who were complete 'arzeholes' and fobbed me off. We were told by an Australian malpractice place to call them, so i guess I'll be more careful next time!

I searched the general international forums and came up with nothing but people complaining about optometrists doing eye surgery - interesting, yet not what I was looking for.

I'm going to go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering now to do plastics, and they don't provide coverage, so I need to get it from somewhere else - any tips? thanks heaps
Trent

 

[sjkpark]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Monash will cover us everywhere EXCEPT for the US and Canada. In a letter we received from the Uni, they said they provide it for us, but when I checked with an admin person today, they said the US is generally not covered.

I called 1 place in NYC, who were complete 'arzeholes' and fobbed me off. We were told by an Australian malpractice place to call them, so i guess I'll be more careful next time!

I searched the general international forums and came up with nothing but people complaining about optometrists doing eye surgery - interesting, yet not what I was looking for.

I'm going to go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering now to do plastics, and they don't provide coverage, so I need to get it from somewhere else - any tips? thanks heaps
Trent

Medical Protection Society? Maybe not in Australia?

 

[spherical]

I do not know of any Australian schools that provide international students with "malpractice insurance" while working in the US or Canada. If you have a policy statement indicating otherwise, please post the link -- with details as to the amounts and nature of the coverage!

One school actually issued a phony one-page document that you could present to your elective supervisor indicating that students would be covered for medical malpractice up to $20 million. (Which is simply scary for all involved.) Follow up any such claims by asking for a copy of the policy! (This should be publicly available information that you can obtain through a Freedom of Information Request if it is not forthcoming. Note: you can get all sorts of stuff this way. Including any personal information -- ie. Faculty/University email correspondence containing your name.)

Some schools admit that they don't have insurance but will take care of any problems that might arise! They may also point out that students are not licensed to practice medicine and that they won't cover students who do. This is a little difficult. If you are performing procedures (and this IS generally a big part of surgical clerkships/rotations/electives in the US!) and not practicing medicine, this is assault isn't it? Even if you can "sell" such assurances to your elective institution, you may end up guilty of fraud shoud "something happen" and lawyers look into the situation.

Your only SAFE bet is to choose electives at a N. American school that will cover your activities under their own insurance (many will! -- some charge a fee). I think you will find it difficult to get such insurance on your own!

Interestingly, some Australian schools have no insurance coverage for their own students' activities in their own hospitals!! (You wonder why you don't do much in the way of procedures?)

 

[sjkpark]

I do not know of any Australian schools that provide international students with "malpractice insurance" while working in the US or Canada. If you have a policy statement indicating otherwise, please post the link -- with details as to the amounts and nature of the coverage!

I'm from New Zealand and everybody in the clinical years are covered with Medical Protection Society. It covers for elective in anywhere in the world except Australia - funnily enough. For those of us going to aus, we were told to get malpractice insurance through Medical Indemnity Protection Society in Australia. (www.mips.com.au) Maybe they'll be able to help you.

 

[spherical]

I'm from New Zealand and everybody in the clinical years are covered with Medical Protection Society. It covers for elective in anywhere in the world except Australia - funnily enough. For those of us going to aus, we were told to get malpractice insurance through Medical Indemnity Protection Society in Australia. (www.mips.com.au) Maybe they'll be able to help you.

If you scroll down the page of the above link, you will find:

? free student membership, including protection for approved supervised activities during your elective period (except in the USA or where USA law applies) and

So I doubt this is going to help anyone hoping to go to the USA!

 

[pitman]

I do not know of any Australian schools that provide international students with "malpractice insurance" while working in the US or Canada.

UQ starting next year.

-pitman