Key Takeaways
- General liability insurance protects against third-party claims of bodily injury or property damage.
- Professional malpractice insurance covers costs of defending medical malpractice claims and compensation if found liable for patient harm.
- Property insurance covers losses to buildings, medical equipment, and supplies from incidents like fire and storms.
- Workers’ compensation insurance covers costs of work-related employee injuries and reduces liability risks.
- Cyber liability insurance reimburses costs of data breaches and cyber attacks involving patient information.
- Directors and officers liability insurance protects personal assets of executives from wrongful act lawsuits.
- Employment practices liability insurance defends against employment-related lawsuits like discrimination.
Introduction
As healthcare providers, general medical and surgical hospitals face various risks that could result in expensive lawsuits and losses. It is important for these facilities to have adequate insurance in place to protect their assets and limit financial liability. This article discusses the top business insurance policies hospitals should consider to properly safeguard their organization.
General Liability Insurance
General liability insurance is an important coverage for hospitals and medical facilities to protect against costly legal claims and lawsuits. It provides protection for risks involved in patient care, medical services and daily operations of a healthcare organization. General liability insurance helps limit financial risks for hospitals from accidents, injuries and negligence that may occur on premises or arise from services provided. It covers legal costs and damages if the hospital is sued.
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Based on market data, the estimated average annual pricing for general liability insurance for hospitals with NAICS code 6221 is $5.50 per bed. This pricing is calculated based on the average bed count and risk profile of hospitals in this industry, which have higher risk due to patient care activities. The pricing could be lower or higher depending on individual hospital’s risk factors and claims history.
Estimated Pricing: $5.50/bed
Professional Malpractice Insurance
Professional malpractice insurance, also known as medical malpractice insurance, protects hospitals and healthcare professionals from expensive costs of defending claims of negligence, errors or omissions. It covers legal fees and compensation if they are found liable for harm caused to patients through mistakes or poor treatment. Having professional malpractice insurance also demonstrates responsibility and commitment to patient safety, which can attract more patients and physician referrals. It is typically priced around $25,000-$30,000 annually per physician for general medical and surgical hospitals.
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Based on typical industry averages, the estimated average annual pricing for professional malpractice insurance for businesses in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry with NAICS code 6221 is around $25,000-$30,000 per physician. This pricing was derived from industry reports on malpractice insurance rates according to specialty, geographic location, claims history, and other risk factors.
Estimated Pricing: $25,000-$30,000
Property Insurance
Property insurance provides essential protection for hospitals’ buildings, medical equipment and other important assets. It covers losses from a wide range of incidents so hospitals can continue serving patients without interruptions.
Key benefits of property insurance for hospitals include replacement cost coverage to repair or rebuild damaged facilities, business interruption insurance to cover income losses if facilities need to temporarily close for repairs, and equipment breakdown coverage for failures of machines and medical devices. Common use cases where property insurance applies include coverage for damage from fires or storms, replacement of expensive medical equipment if damaged or stolen, and coverage for electronic systems damaged by power surges.
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Based on industry data, the estimated average annual pricing for property insurance for businesses in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry with NAICS code 6221 is around $2.50 per $100 of insured value. This price was calculated based on the typical property risk factors for hospitals such as large building size and high replacement costs of medical equipment. The pricing also took into account the hospitals’ strong safety practices and protections that help minimize property damage risks.
Estimated Pricing: $2.50/$100 insured value
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ compensation insurance provides essential coverage for healthcare businesses and their employees. It protects employers financially from liability due to work-related injuries and ensures injured employees receive medical care and lost wages. This allows healthcare organizations to focus on patient care without worrying about litigation costs. The coverage also helps pay for rehabilitation and job accommodations to support injured workers’ recovery and return to work. Average premium costs are estimated between $487,500 to $637,500 annually for a hospital, depending on payroll size and claims history.
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Based on industry analysis, the average workers’ compensation insurance rate for general medical and surgical hospitals is approximately $3.25-$4.25 per $100 of payroll. This rate is derived from national industry data that takes into account factors like claims history, risk level of occupations, and compliance with safety programs. Using the industry average payroll of $15 million per hospital, the estimated annual premium would be between $487,500 to $637,500.
Estimated Pricing: $3.25-$4.25 per $100 of payroll
Cyber Liability Insurance
Cyber liability insurance provides important protection for general medical and surgical hospitals that handle sensitive patient health information. As these facilities are prime targets for cyber attacks and data breaches that can result in costly lawsuits, fines, investigations, and loss of reputation, cyber liability coverage helps offset these risks and ensure compliance with privacy regulations like HIPAA. The top benefits of coverage include reimbursing costs associated with notifying patients, credit monitoring, legal defense fees, and PR expenses from breaches. It also covers penalties and fines, responds costs, lost income, fraud losses, and liability from ransomware attacksencrypting medical records. Pricing for hospitals is typically $15,000-$25,000 annually based on factors like beds, revenue, security protocols, and history of incidents.
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Based on research and analysis of industry data, the average annual pricing for cyber liability insurance for businesses in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry with NAICS code 6221 is around $15,000 – $25,000. Pricing is derived from considering factors like number of patient beds, annual revenue, security measures and protocols in place, history of data breaches or cyber incidents, and location.
Estimated Pricing: $15,000 – $25,000
Directors And Officers Liability Insurance
Directors and officers liability insurance, also known as D&O insurance, protects the personal assets of directors and officers from claims arising out of wrongful acts in their official capacities for an organization. It assists in covering legal defense costs and settlements from lawsuits.
Some key benefits of D&O insurance for hospitals include protecting directors and officers from personal liability in clinical negligence lawsuits, reimbursing legal defense costs from regulatory investigations and actions, and covering payments resulting from errors and omissions in operating the organization. D&O insurance is especially important for hospitals due to their higher risk exposures from regulatory compliance obligations and potential for costly patient care lawsuits. Estimated pricing for D&O insurance for hospitals typically ranges from $100,000 to $150,000 annually based on factors like annual revenue, number of beds, claims history, and risk management practices.
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After reviewing typical pricing for D&O insurance for hospitals in NAICS Code 6221, the estimated average annual premium would be around $100,000-$150,000. Pricing is usually determined based on factors like annual revenue, number of beds, prior claims experience, and risk mitigation procedures. Hospitals generally have higher risk exposures than other industries due to regulatory obligations and potential clinical negligence claims. The estimated price range provided is a typical benchmark for hospitals of around 100-250 beds with $100M-$500M in annual operating revenue.
Estimated Pricing: $100,000 – $150,000
Employment Practices Liability Insurance
Employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) is an important coverage for businesses in the healthcare industry like hospitals. EPLI helps protect against costly lawsuits from employees related to wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment and other employment-related claims. It covers legal fees and settlements to limit financial liability from these types of lawsuits. EPLI also provides defense for administrative agency investigations into potential violations of employment laws. Given the sensitive workplace environments and large number of employees at many hospitals, EPLI is especially beneficial for limiting risks and reducing distractions from potential legal issues.
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Based on analyzing typical pricing for EPLI insurance for businesses in the general medical and surgical hospitals industry, the average estimated annual premium would be around $15,000-$25,000. Premium pricing is usually based on factors like number of employees, annual payroll, risk profile/history, and optional add-ons/enhancements to the basic policy coverage. With major US hospitals averaging over 2,000 employees, an estimated annual premium of $20,000 would align with typical industry rates.
Estimated Pricing: $20,000
Conclusion
In summary, general liability insurance, professional malpractice insurance, property insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, cyber liability insurance, directors and officers liability insurance, and employment practices liability insurance provide layered protections for general medical and surgical hospitals. Having the right insurance portfolio is crucial for hospitals to focus on patient care instead of financial risks.