Business Insurance for Healthcare Practices

Whether you're the office administrator or the lead practitioner, you're committed to protecting the well-being of your patients. Your business deserves the same degree of care. From damage to essential medical equipment to an X-ray or refrigeration system failure, or even in defense of a lawsuit, Travelers has you covered.

Healthcare practice insurance needs start with a basic Business Owner's Policy that covers property and general liability, with add-ons to protect medical equipment and patient records. Healthcare businesses also should consider coverage for medication and vaccines on-premises, needlesticks, workers compensation, and other add-ons tailored to the needs of the business.

No matter what type of healthcare business you own, your business has unique concerns, including protecting expensive equipment and keeping patient records secure. Here are just a few financially devastating situations a healthcare business could face:

• A patient faints, falls and breaks a hip while at your acupuncture clinic. A month later, you learn that you're being sued.
• A medical assistant accidentally gets stuck with a needle while performing a blood draw. You pay to test your employee for HIV, hepatitis B and other blood-borne illnesses.
• A cyber criminal targets your electronic medical records and steals a trove of sensitive patient information. You hire a PR firm to do damage control and to protect the patient information.
• A tornado hits your dental office and destroys your expensive equipment, from drills to X-ray machines. Appointments for cleanings, crowns and fillings get cancelled while you rebuild.

Look for specialized coverages that keep medical and dental practices healthy. In addition to the core coverages in a BOP, exploring additional coverages designed for your specific practice can offer even more protection. For example, Travelers Medical Dental Premier^SM and Power Pac^SM can supercharge your BOP and inoculate you against risks common to your profession. Medical Dental Premier includes 40 features for healthcare practices. It also increases policy limits with a $350,000 blanket coverage limit that protects vaccines and other medications if, for example, your refrigeration system stops working and the medication spoils.

Data breach coverage. Electronic health records offer an array of benefits, but also pose unique cybersecurity risks. Look for coverage that can offer you peace of mind by helping to pay costs that arise out of a cyber breach. Travelers' CyberFirst Essentials^® ‒ Small Business includes coverage to help pay costs associated with patient notifications, PR efforts and court judgments.

Protect your wellness as an employer. Whether you have one employee or many, it's wise to consider your status as an employer when putting together your coverage package. You may be required to get workers compensation insurance, which can protect both you and your employees in the event of a workplace injury. Travelers' coverage includes needlestick coverage to reimburse you for testing the patient and the employee.

Prepare for litigation. In today's increasingly litigious environment, healthcare businesses need to consider how to protect their practice from potential lawsuits. For example, Travelers' Employment Practices Liability+^SM (EPL+) coverage helps pay your legal costs and potential damages if an employee files a claim for discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination.

Add coverage for your vehicles. Does your healthcare business rely on one or more vehicles to allow you to make house calls or get medical specimens to a lab quickly? If so, you'll need to add commercial auto coverage to your insurance bundle.

Consider coverage for non-owned vehicles. Consider coverage for autos you rent or don't own that are used in your business. In the event of an accident, coverage for hired non-owned autos can provide protection for damages that would not be covered under your policy.

Consider an extra layer of protection. Want to sleep better at night? Consider a Commercial Umbrella policy, which provides an additional layer of financial protection over and above the coverage limits of your other liability policies for covered losses. For example, Travelers offers an umbrella policy with up to $25 million in additional liability coverage.

Keeping your healthcare business healthy starts with getting the right coverage to protect yourself from common risks and prevent big headaches. Need advice specific to your practice? Consult with a Travelers agent who can customize coverage to the unique needs of your healthcare business, so you can get back to focusing on the health of your patients.

Find an agent to discuss the unique risks your business faces and learn more about small business insurance from Travelers.