Policy Articles

OMIC’s policy provides a number of additional benefits for disciplinary proceedings, regulatory actions, and cyber liability. This article reviews some of these scenarios and discusses the coverage available under OMIC’s policy to assist insureds.

OMIC offers a variety of discounts and coverage features that may help alleviate some of the stressors that lead to burnout. This article highlights some of those benefits.

Ophthalmologists who provide care to premature infants are at high risk, and those who treat ROP with anti-VEGF injections need to remain extremely vigilant. Guidelines for treatment of ROP are evolving. This article discusses OMIC's underwriting requirements related to coverage for treatment of infants with IVAV.

The articles in this issue of the Digest explore equipment malfunction and patient injury - how to prevent it, what to do when it occurs, and professional liability claims that may result. Here we will look at how your OMIC policy covers you in such an event.

Lawsuits and claims arising from patient falls present an evolving issue for plaintiffs, defendants, the court system, and insurance companies. If a patient sues an ophthalmologist or their medical practice or ambulatory surgery center (ASC), what legal theory applies? Is the claim one of medical malpractice (i.e., professional negligence) or ordinary negligence (e.g., premises liability)? This may appear to be a question of semantics, but the answer has important consequences.

OMIC has provided medical professional liability (MPL) insurance coverage to eye banks since 1999. Traditionally, eye banks procured, evaluated, and tested ocular tissue and then distributed the whole cornea or sclera to a surgeon. More recently, however, many eye banks provide an expanded scope of services. This article explores the distinction between "services" and "products" and how coverage applies when donor tissue is processed or prepared by the eye bank.

Insureds may wonder if their current limits of liability are appropriate. This article addresses what limits of liability are, considerations for selecting them, and how changing them affects coverage if claims arise.

As a new doctor, you probably know that you need medical professional liability insurance (MPLI), but you may not feel like you know enough about it to make a responsible decision. This article seeks to explain MPLI and the basics of OMIC’s coverage.

OMIC supports the user of office surgery suites for many procedures. OMIC Underwriting Guidelines should be implemented prior to performing intraocular procedures in an office surgical suite.

OMIC’s policy covers insureds for claims based on injuries arising from direct patient treatment by the insured or someone for whose actions the insured is liable. This includes injuries to patient-subjects in a clinical research setting as long as the research was conducted under and in accordance with an American IRB-approved protocol. In order to understand how OMIC’s coverage would apply to such claims, here are some real world examples.

Sometimes, when patients make claims or file lawsuits against their ophthalmologists, they allege certain acts, seek monetary awards, or sue other people that aren’t covered by the insured’s OMIC professional liability policy. When this happens, it is OMIC’s obligation to send a letter to the insured explaining who and what their policy does and does not cover.

There are numerous ways a practice can be organized and many options for the creation of a legal entity. It is important that OMIC insureds understand both how to secure professional liability coverage for their various business entities and how that coverage works.

You probably know the limits of liability you carry for your medical professional liability insurance. But have you wondered what these limits pay for? Also learn about the supplementary payments - monies paid in addition to, not out of, your limits of liability - your policy provides.

Receiving notice of a claim or being served with a lawsuit can be a very stressful and upsetting experience. It is imperative that insureds feel confident that their insurance company will be there for them when they need it most. Sometimes, however, claims will not meet the company’s requirements for coverage. This article addresses some of those circumstances and explains what OMIC will do.