Malpractice Insurance

Q.:  Are chiropractic physicians required to maintain malpractice liability insurance under Illinois law?

A:  No.  The Medical Practice Act does not mandate medical malpractice insurance for any category of physician licensed under the Act.  However, although insurance is not required by law, the ICS strongly recommends it.  Practicing physicians are subject to claims for monetary damages in malpractice claims, and insurance provides coverage for settlements or court judgments, as well as legal representation for those matters.  Note that practicing under a medical or professional service corporation shields the physician owner from business debt but not from malpractice claims.  Without the “safety net” of insurance, a physician’s assets could be at risk to pay a claim.  In addition, some policies provide coverage to retain an attorney for representation in license proceedings at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Additionally, many PPO provider agreements require providers to maintain medical malpractice insurance.  Therefore, if you are in health care networks, you may have agreed in your contracts to maintain this type of insurance.

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