| Q: |
How do I report an incident, claim or lawsuit? |
| A: |
The process for reporting an incident, claim or
lawsuit varies depending
on the type of client and the nature of the event. Claims cannot be reported on this web site. If you are an
employed physician or a voluntary attending physician
at an FOJP hospital, long-term care facility or agency, please
review the reporting procedures provided with your policy or contact
your institution's
risk management department.
If you represent a hospital, long-term care facility or agency
client and you need to report a claim or incident relating to a property,
automobile, environmental
or disability loss, please
contact Larry Ruzzo;
212.891.0858.
If you represent a hospital, long-term care facility or agency
and you need to report a claim or incident in one of the following
areas: directors and officers/employment
practices, crime or fiduciary liability, please
contact Steve Macaluso;
212.891.0707.
If you need to report a claim or incident relating to workers’ compensation, please
contact Eric Hartcorn at Risk Management Planning Group at 888.767.RMPG
(888.767.7674).
|
| |
EMPLOYED PHYSICIANS |
| |
|
| Q: |
How do I obtain a certificate of insurance for my professional liability coverage? |
| A: |
Please contact your hospital’s insurance
coordinator or risk management department. |
| |
VOLUNTARY ATTENDING PHYSICIANS (VAP) |
| |
|
| Q: |
I am a physician in private practice; how do I
find out about medical professional liability insurance? |
| A: |
Coverage information for the FOJP program can only
be provided by Hospitals Insurance Company, Inc. (HIC) by calling
800.982.7101 or e-mailing
info@hicgroup.com.
|
| Q: |
Who is eligible for the VAP Program? |
| A: |
You are eligible for coverage through the VAP
program if you are a member of the voluntary attending staff of one of the
following hospitals: Beth Israel Medical Center, Maimonides Medical
Center, Montefiore Medical Center or Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Your VAP hospital should be the one to which you admit most of your
patients. Individual applications are reviewed by HIC’s underwriters
to make the final eligibility decision.
|
| Q: |
What is a Statement of Insurance? |
| A: |
A Statement of Insurance is a certificate that
confirms that an enrolled physician has professional liability
insurance coverage through the Voluntary Attending Physician (VAP) program.
The information included on the certificate indicates the name of
the physician, territory of principal practice, premium class,
effective dates of coverage and limits endorsements. Any facility at
which a physician practices will require that a Statement of
Insurance be maintained on file as proof of the physician’s medical
professional liability coverage.
|
| Q: |
What is Occurrence coverage? |
| A: |
Occurrence coverage provides insurance against
claims that arise out of events that took place during the policy
period, regardless of when a claim is made. |
| Q: |
What is Claims Made coverage? |
| A: |
Claims Made coverage provides insurance for claims
first made against the insured during the policy period, provided the
event giving rise to the claim occurred during
the period of coverage.
|
| Q: |
When is my quarterly premium due for the VAP
program? |
| A: |
Payments owed to HIC are due in equal quarterly
installments on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 of each
policy year.
|
| Q: |
Is there a discount if I pay my annual premium
in a lump sum? |
| A: |
If you pay your entire premium in advance, you will
receive a two percent (2%) discount. This amount will be deducted
from the total premium, and you will receive the discount in a
refund check.
|
| Q: |
I received a renewal application. What is it? |
| A: |
The VAP program sends a renewal application to its
Voluntary Attending Physicians every two years, which participants
are required to complete with updated, current information. When returned, the
renewal indicates your intention to continue your enrollment in the
VAP program. The information required in the renewal application is
necessary to update your address, telephone number, territory of
principal practice, premium class, status as a full- or part-time
practitioner, claims experience and changes in your medical
practice. If you have any questions, please
contact Alice Walsh;
800.982.7101.
|
| Q: |
What is "Section 18" Insurance? |
| A: |
Excess (Section 18) is a layer of insurance that
provides additional limits of $1 million per medical incident and $3 million in the aggregate above
your primary insurance, which is paid for by New York State. HIC provides
excess insurance coverage to VAP physicians who meet the
necessary eligibility requirements. To qualify for excess insurance coverage, the
physician must be licensed in New York State, have admitting
privileges at a hospital in New York, carry primary limits of $1.3 million per occurrence/$3.9
million in the aggregate and complete a risk management course
approved by the New York State Insurance Department. (FOJP offers an
on-line course approved for this purpose.) Excess insurance is
written for the policy period from July 1 through June 30 of each
year.
|
| Q: |
I received a letter from an attorney requesting
the records of a patient whom I treated. What should I do? |
| A: |
When you receive a summons or a request for records
from an attorney, or encounter an unusual situation with a patient,
it is crucial that you consult your sponsor hospital’s reporting
procedures before you release any records. Reporting procedures are
included in the professional liability insurance packet that you
receive from FOJP at the beginning of each policy period and provide
information for notifying your hospital's risk management department. Depending on the situation when you call,
your contact will explain how you should
proceed.
|
| Q: |
How long do I need to keep patients' medical
records? |
| A: |
There is not a simple answer to this question
because it depends on several factors. Please refer to the FOJP
newsletter, Infocus, Issue No. 9, 2009, "Prescription for Change — A Risk Management Guide to Closing Your Office Practice."
|
| Q: |
How can I end a professional relationship with a difficult patient? |
| A: |
The solution may not be a simple one, but the FOJP
newsletter, Infocus, Issue No. 10, 2009, "Patient Encounters of the Difficult Kind" may
offer some helpful insights.
|
| |
HOSPITAL / LONG-TERM CARE CLIENTS
|
| |
|
| Q: |
What risk management educational
resources are available to hospitals through FOJP? |
| A: |
FOJP's and HIC's risk management staff are available to provide
live educational programs to your staff on request. Examples of
topics covered are: medical record documentation, informed consent,
communications and other pertinent risk-related issues. Actual case
studies are presented as well as current risk management techniques.
Members of the risk management departments can
assist you in developing your own programs.
For additional information, please
contact Mark Callahan, MD;
212.891.0773. Online
educational courses are also available for physicians and nurses. |
| |
AGENCY CLIENTS
|
| |
|
| Q: |
Who do I call if I don’t know who to call? |
| A: |
Contact Warren Witt, FOJP’s Director of Insurance
Services at 212.891.0808. |
