It’s January, and one of the main dental indemnity renewal period is underway. As well as being a requirement for registration to the General Dental Council, indemnity insurance is an essential part of your professional protection. That means it is important to get your level of cover right.
So, what are some of the things to look out for when choosing your dental indemnity policy?
1. Check what you’re covered for under other insurance policies
You can’t claim twice on two different insurance policies for the same incident, so don’t pay two premiums for the same cover.
In particular, check your ancillary benefits which are perhaps covered by personal or other professional insurances. If a policy lists lots of extras, be sure to check that the main policy has what you need.
2. Check if you are covered under employer’s indemnity
If you are an individual dental practitioner, find out what your practice employer has cover for. If you are included in their policy, take a look at the policy terms to understand your level of protection.
You should consider an additional basic policy that insures you for what might not be included, such as Good Samaritan Acts.
3. Compare policy conditions and indemnity limits as well as cost
The cheapest and the most expensive policies aren’t always an indication of which one is best. It depends on your circumstances and what you need cover for.
Review what your current policy includes and identify the fundamental elements, the nice to haves and what’s missing. Compare these to other insurance quotes. All Med Pro’s policy covers you up to a £10,000,000 indemnity limit.
4. Consider claims made rather than claims occurred
All Med Pro’s dental indemnity policy includes claims occurrence and claims made cover, as well as run off for up to 5 years.
Claims occurrence means that you will be covered by your policy with us if a claim is made after your insurance period has elapsed for an incident that happened during the covered period. You should also check if there is a time limit on any occurrence based clause or limits, such as retirement.
5. Legal advice by legally trained dental practitioners
In the case of an incident or legal proceedings, you want to know that the people handling your case understand the complexities of the dental profession – your peers. Look for an indemnity policy, like the one provided by All Med Pro, that gives you access to dual trained legal and dental professionals to discuss your claim and defence.
6. Check you are covered to GDC requirements
The General Dental Council has a minimum requirement for dental indemnity insurance as part of their registration. See their guidelines for more information.
7. Appoint a reputable broker
If the process of fully protecting yourself, at the right price, sounds like a very time consuming task, consider working with a specialist broker, who can talk you through available policies.
All Med Pro is a team of specialist dental and medical brokers. We have developed policies that work for our clients, including protection that is needed and removing unfair limits and clauses. We will talk you through the jargon to make sure you are comfortable with the policy you have chosen.
If you would like help with finding the right dental indemnity policy this renewal season, contact us.