Following the recent statement released by the GDC regarding appropriate levels of indemnity and in particular exclusions which some insurers include in their insurance contracts we want to reassure our clients that our policy which is underwritten by Hiscox has been developed specifically for dentists and dental professionals and that the cover and terms provided under this policy reflect this.
We are big believers that medical professionals should have security of cover and specialist support in the event of a claim and highly recommend that if dentists are insured through insurance companies that the full terms, conditions and exclusions are read and understood prior to accepting cover.
At All Med Pro we have taken steps to increase the cover and support offered to our dental clients and can now provide Claims Occurrence cover as well as Claims Made cover.
In addition, our clients can speak to a dentist that is dual-qualified as a legal adviser in the event of a claim. Furthermore, some policy exclusions which are not in keeping with the professions requirements and can sometimes be found within other insurer contracts are removed from our policy.
We provide our clients with a dental specialist lawyer for non-clinical negligence support and assistance including regulatory issues and we have partnered up with a specialist dental CPD provider to help reduce the risks of future claims arising.
Insurance policy terms exist to protect both the client and insurer and are not written into the contract to assist insurers with avoiding paying claims. There have been numerous regulatory changes in the insurance sector over the last two years which have increased protection on policyholders.
Regulation stipulates that policyholders must be treated fairly when it comes to all aspects of the policy including claims settlement. If clients feel they have been treated unfairly there are several routes of recourse that can be accessed to overturn the insurers initial decision.
Discretionary defence organisations membership and the scope of cover are subject to the organisations “Memorandum & Articles of Association” which include the terms for which discretion may be exercised in regards to indemnity. Below is a direct quote from one of the defence organisations Memorandum & Articles of Association:
“The grant of an indemnity shall be entirely in the discretion of the Council, who shall have the power to impose such terms and conditions on the grant of any indemnity as it thinks fit, and may in its absolute discretion limit or restrict such indemnity or decline altogether to grant the same.”
As the title suggests, the cover is discretionary and therefore there is no guarantee that a claim will be accepted or paid and the discretion maybe exercised at any time to limit or withdraw assistance.
Insurance policy contract terms, conditions and exclusions are advised to the insured dentist from the outset and how these may be applied in the event of a claim.
The rise of new providers in the indemnity market can only bring about positive change for dentists. We firmly believe that all cover for dental negligence should be on a contract certain basis as this is the only form of cover that provides insured individuals and organisations with a guarantee of cover and with the advance knowledge of what they will be covered for should a claim arise.