When it comes to your dental indemnity insurance, you need to be assured that you have the right policy, with the right insurer, and at the right price. As it is also a requirement for General Dentist Council registration, it is not something that you can avoid.
At All Med Pro, we pride ourselves on being experts in helping dentists and other healthcare professionals and practices to choose the right insurance.
So, if you are not sure if you have the right policy for you, read our guidance below to help you be confident that you are fully protected.
1. MDOs vs insurers
Many dentists organise indemnity through a medical defence organisation (MDO), who generally provide discretionary cover.
This is a risky option as it means that your claim could be denied which would leave you to cover the legal costs of any claim against you.
An insurer on the other hand, provides contractual cover, which means that your claim would be approved as per your agreed policy terms as it is a legally binding document. You also benefit from FCA protection.
2. Occurrence based vs claims made cover
Your policy will cover you either on an occurrence based or claims made basis. ‘Occurrence based’ means that you will be covered for a claim as long as you had a valid policy at the time the incident took place.
‘Claims made’ refers to policies that need to be valid at the time when you became aware of a claim against you. This means that when your policy ends, your protection also ends.
All Med Pro provides occurrence based cover, which means that you will continue to be protected for claims that arise in the future that happened during your policy cover period.
3. Compare policy cover
Make sure that your policy includes (and doesn’t exclude) what you personally need. You should compare quotes for both price and contract cover to make sure you get the right one. Don’t just accept your renewal quote unless you are sure it is the best price and the right insurance.
You should also check that your policy does not cover you for things that you have under an alternative insurance. You do not want to be paying twice for the same benefit.
4. Additional benefits
Some additional benefits will actually make your life easier. For example, at All Med Pro, we have a dedicated qualified dento-legal advisor who is also a practising dentist.
In the event of a claim, having someone who understands your situation and also has the right legal knowledge to guide you through your claim, gives great peace of mind.
5. Get specialist advice
With so many options available, coupled with the importance of choosing the right policy, it can all seem a bit daunting. Working with a broker can be a great way to help you work through what you need and make the right policy choice.
It is useful to remember that specialist brokers usually have access to policies specifically designed for dentists – so finding a knowledgeable broker – like All Med Pro – to partner with is the key to being fully protected.