Home     Contact Us    
Main Board Job Seeker's Board Job Wanted Board Resume Bank Company Board Word Help Medquist New MTs Classifieds Offshore Concerns VR/Speech Recognition Tech Help Coding/Medical Billing
Gab Board Politics Comedy Stop Health Issues
ADVERTISEMENT




Serving Over 20,000 US Medical Transcriptionists

That's not true. You do not need liability insurance SM

Posted By: Anon on 2005-07-14
In Reply to: a company I got a job with - Becky

I went through a similar situation not too long ago.  My lawyer informed me that I do not need this insurance.  The dictating physician is responsible for the content of the dictated file and if he/she fails to read it/correct mistakes before signing off - he/she is the one that buys the farm, not the transcriptionist. 


In other words, error and omission insurance is a crock. 




Complete Discussion Below: marks the location of current message within thread

    The messages you are viewing are archived/old.
    To view latest messages and participate in discussions, select the boards given in left menu


    Other related messages found in our database

    Liability Insurance
    I carry a $1 million umbrella policy that covers basically anything that happens at my home or in my car, except weather and acts of God.  This policy costs me $213 per year and I feel that it is well worth it.
    somebody please help me liability insurance
    i have a job offer that requires liability insurance.  company is accuscribe.  i have no idea where to go to get this insurance or how much it costs.  i am really confused.  somebody, please help me!
    E & O Liability Insurance
    E & O Liability insurance with AAMT runs $300 per year.
    Do most IC's buy liability insurance?

    I cannot afford to buy this insurance. Am I jeopradizing my home, etc. 


    I keep wondering if this career is worth it.  I seem to put in so many long hours and do not get paid what I really put into it.  On the other hand, I do get that freedom of completing the work when I choose and whether it is in my pj's or not. 


    Just wondering. 


    E&O Liability insurance
    I realize many of us think we do not need this insurance.  Unfortunately, a local area hospital thinks I do to work for them.  Someone had told me they got this through their home owners policy.  Any ideas on how to do that?  I'm not a member of AAMT.  I checked into it before, and it was rather expensive buying it outright from an insurance company.  Thanks.  I need to find more work and, unfortunately, this is what this hospital requires. 
    Professional Liability INsurance?

    Does anyone have this through AAMT?  If so, how much did you pay for it?  If not,  are there other options out there?   I'm looking into errors and omissions and I read about this, and think it would probably be just what I am looking for, but I am curious about the price before I pay for an AAMT membership! Thanks.


    Liability Insurance Rates? Does
    anyone have a rough guesstimate of how much this could run an IC? I have been to various websites and got to an actual policy application form, but they only specify a cost of around $84 to $100, but don't say if that's monthly, quarterly, annually, etc. Anyone have an idea? Thanks!
    Do any of you ICs out there carry your own liability insurance if
    you are working for an MTSO?  I do not carry this insurance and was looking for what you all can advise me.  Thanks.
    Does anyone have liability insurance? What can you tell me about it? Wondering if I (am IC) need i

    x


    who will provide IC liability insurance when state farm does not?
    I want to be an IC, but in calling my insurance company they do not cover liability insurance for anything to do with medical......Does anyone know who I could contact?
    wow!! not true - they just changed insurance companies (sm)
    at the end of the year.  I don't know about the family coverage, I get the single, but it is about 1/3 of what you said.  Maybe you should give them another look.
    no liability on IC's because MT's dont' have liability
    -- the docs do. I have yet to hear of an MT in court because of what she transcribed...so don't worry about the liability. Big panty wadder coming from insurance companies.
    Liability
    What company is this for?
    What about liability???

    Found a hard working young mom who desperately needs income.  Told her I'd pay her $12/hr to help me get my home spring cleaned.  But, I wonder about liability should she or her son (she needs to bring her 3 yr-old son with her) get hurt on my property.  Or, heaven forbid, she stoops to the low road and scams me.  I do not know her well and she seems relatively honest but I am paranoid.


    Should I have her sign a waiver???


    ESL's a liability?
    Imagine if the messed-up phrase had been directly linked to some life-or-death decision, or an allergy to medication, peanuts, or whatever. Makes me wonder if hospitals & clinics have ever thought about the possibility legal trouble an ESL doctor can cause by not being able to speak clearly.
    ICs and Liability
    Does anybody know how liability is handled if a transcription mistake causes harm to a patient if the Transcriptionist is an "Independent Contractor?"

    Is liability insurance one of the first things an IC must purchase? Does the MTSOs customer who hired the MTSO as an IC think it's a good idea to SUBcontract the transcription work to a subcontractor who may or may not be insured?

    Speaking of ICs...I found the following link on the U. S. Department of Labor's website most interesting:
    http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs13.pdf

    It seems that a lot of transcription companies are illegally viewing employees as "independent contractors" when the criteria for such are not being met.

    For example, if you hire an INDEPENDENT contractor to remodel your house, the contractor presents YOU with the contract, not the other way around. (Hint: The one who presents the contract must be the contractor!) The contractor presents you with the bill when the work is finished; you don't tell him what your "hourly rate" is.

    You meet with him and come to an agreement as to price, what work you want done, and other things that both of you agree on.

    However, you do NOT tell the contractor what tools they will use, what shifts they will work, or what equipment they will use to do the job. You can't say things like "I don't like DeWalt power tools. Go out and buy all Makita power tools if you're going to work on MY house."

    Read what the U.S. Department of Labor says about Independent Contractors and how narrow that scope really is. Then, the next time a company hires you as an "independent contractor," act like it. Present them with YOUR contract and tell them what YOUR rate is. If they start talking about their cpl rate, then they're an employer, not your "customer." Remember, REAL ICs are the ones that bill for their work.
    I bet other insurance carriers have insurance for their employees. Why not Wal-Mart? nm
    :+
    Virtually no liability as an MT...sm
    you never hear about transcriptionists getting sued. You could just increase your homeowner's coverage to a 1 mil liability coverage - which would give you 1 mil liability for everything, not just getting sued as an MT. But I don't carry it and I don't know anyone who does. I have a small service and even when I sign contracts with hospitals that require vendors to carry insurance, they just write a line through that clause.
    Not what I understand -- tax liability
    It doesn't matter whether you get a refund it is what your tax liability is, I think you have to have had a liability of over the amount, or paid at least that much as taxes for the refund.  If someone does not have enough withheld but still pays over $800 a year in taxes, they should get something.  But if your tax liability goes down to zero, and you get EVERYTHING back that you have paid in plus more, then I do not think you would get anything.  But again, I am no expert but what I heard is that you had to have paid at least that amount into as taxes after filing. 
    Oops, liability is his.
    x
    It has happened to most of us. I just wonder what liability ICs have regarding this. nm

    I was deposed regarding a liability case

    Patient only had a diagnostic test done where I worked.  Family claimed it was from an accident.  Insurance company bucked it saying it was congenital.  My employer had to sue the family for nonpayment and because of that, the family's lawyer got a subpeona to have a disposition.  I wasn't upset because I knew I had nothing to offer.  The family's lawyer arranged to have it done where I worked (I was in charge of records Quality Assurance and for sending accounts to collections).  The family's lawyer asked his mundane questions.  The insurance company's lawyer kept trying to get me to say the ordering doctor ordered an unnecessary test.  He finally asked me directly if I thought it was an unnecessary test.  I looked him straight in the eyes and told him that I was not qualified to answer that as I did not have a medical degree and had no qualfication to state any test, procedure, etc., was every medically necessary.  If he wanted a medical opinion, he would have to pay someone who was qualified to answer the question.  He turned red and ended the whole thing.


    What a total waste of time. 


    Yes, sorry, the errors and omissions liability
    insurance. I have not heard of it before, but there is a company recommended on company board and they require all IC's to have this type of insurance plan within 30 days of hire. The policy was very evasive to me, and I could only see the figure of $84, which I am guessing now might even be weekly? I think I'll forget about that company...
    General Liability for Independent Contractors

    I have just started a position for a company, and they require that I hold general liability insurance, but am a little lost as far as how to obtain that!  Just wondering if anyone had any pointers for me. 


     


    Thank you in advance! :-)


    Thank you ghost! So true! So true! More than one person!
    xx
    Yer crackin' me up! True, true, true! nm
    x
    ROFL!! true, so true! nm
    nm
    true, true but out of about 90 flicks....1 or 2...nm

    true, true - but what you see as arrogance...sm

    I think a lot of people go the extreme -


    so, if I had to be one way or the other (being a humble extremist myself...*LOL*), I'd rather have too much self-esteem than not enough (been there, done that the first 30 years!!! *L*).  And I am a truly humble person, been recognized for just that.....but because of *been there, done that* - and all sorts of therapies (not drug therapies), some end up the other way.  Oh well, this was a fun couple of posts - so I thought.


    Gave me much to chew on :)  Have fun!  


    True but to say there are no good MTs not true.
    asdf
    ROFLMAO!!!! so true! so true!
    Everybody sees it but her, though! I love it! Thanks for the giggle! ":^)
    Insurance

    If you don't have insurance (dental, vision, prescription, chiropractic, and some locations medical) and don't have a lot to spend on insurance, ask me what I signed up for if interested.


    There's a lot of information to tell and I don't want to ramble on if no one's interested.


    Talk to ya later,


    Andrea - Medical Transcripionist (Nashville, TN)


    How can MQ take away the insurance

    when the MT is paying for it also?  Does that not count for anything?


    Insurance
    I didn't mean they were taking it away. What I meant is taking it over not making quota. Sorry.
    wish I could help on that one - I have no insurance, however, -
    I work for one of the TOP docs in NYC who is internationally known, so whenever I am sick, he has taken care of me, called in favors from other specialists, etc. The only bill I have to pay is the lab bill. If you work for yourself, that might be a route to go. I even got my bill at NYU Medical Center 75% off!!!

    At one time Aetna was pretty good as far as rates for individuals.

    Pet insurance....sm
    No flames please, but how do you go about getting pet insurance? When you say "pretty inexpensive", what range are you talking about? Please, any info greatly appreciated. TIA
    UPS insurance
    I have sent packages via UPS that I have packaged myself and was still covered under their automatic $100 worth of insurance.  I wonder if someone at the UPS store is giving you incorrect information?  I had an ebay package damaged and they paid for the item even though I packaged it myself.  Can you call the main UPS number and ask someone else?
    Insurance
    I am just curious about liability insurance for people that have IC status.  Is it required and if so where can I find out some info on this?  TIA
    IC insurance
    I have researched this myself and found that going through your local Chamber of Commerce is probably the most affordable way to go.  If you become a member you are then eligible to get a good rate in health insurance and they offer many different options including HSA (health savings accounts). Check out different Chambers near you though because the membership fee can vary.
    Insurance
    I have a liability policy for which I pay $164 annually.  This does not cover errors and omissions.  For this type of insurance the cost would be sky high, or so I've been told.
    insurance
    I agree.  I've had mine for 9 years as it was required and I've never used it.  The only use it is, is for a write-off as a business expense for me.
    insurance
    there are several companies who now offer individual plans, depending on where you are, I had BC/BS - paid higher premium because I wanted good coverage, but can usually find something for around 100.00 a month if you don't have medical problems, copay for prescriptions may be 30-35.00.
    insurance q
    If you're someone with few health risks (non-smoking, etc.) and no major illnesses, you can probably get a good policy with any one of the major insurers, but ask specifics and shop and compare. When I was working as independent I tried to get one myself but they want to often put you in a $5,000 annual deductible which means you really have to get bad sick or hurt to even really see any benefits paid on your behalf and sometimes if you have a common condition like thyroiditis they would put an exclusion in for the first 6 months to 12 months that you have happen to need surgical treatment for that condition, i.e. thyroidectomy, you are practically on your own because it's pre-existing. I would suggest first applying for low-key health insurance, say $50,000, and then along with history-taking, they generally do a blood draw and EKG, along with perhaps even an HIV test among others, then you've got some "evidence" if you will of your health status before applying for major medical. Then decide later, if you are approved that is, if you want to keep the life insurance as you go independenty, or get life insurance and health insurance with a prospective employer if you happen to go that route instead of independent. This way family considerations also are taken into account. Overall it's best to go beyond the hand-outs which look so colorful and shiny with smiling faces, and look at the contract benefits, exclusions and limitations of any policy, which they hesitate to show unless you pay your money first. Hope you find the right one.
    Insurance

    I need to find out if Errrors and Omissions insurance is needed for a contracted medical transcriptionist?


    Please let me know if you carry it and how I can obtain it?


    Thanks...


     


    insurance
    No you do not need it and if you did, error and omission insurance is VERY expensive.  I work for a company who requires general business insurance (tho I don't know why) and it costs me $168/year which I write off as a business expense but is still a waste of money in my opinion.
    PIP INSURANCE

    Everyone who lives in Florida should be aware that the PIP insurance as we know it is soon to expire on 10/1/07.  Please go to the web site http://www.wpbf.com/index.html.  In the center, scroll down a little in the middle is a survery that asks Do you think personal injury protection (PIP) should be eliminated?  Please go on line and vote NO.  Send this email to everyone you know.  We want hundreds of votes.


    Also, please send a letter to Governor Charlie Crist,o to Speaker Marco Rubio and Senate President Ken Pruitt.  You can find their email addresses on MyFlorida.com.  It is very important that they add this to their agenda on 6/12/07 for their special session.


     


    Thanks for your help. 


    Insurance
    I was in a similar position, needed insurance for just a short period until new insurance kicked in.  I went to the United Healthcare insurance site and they have "gap" insurance that you can use for anywhere from 1 to 12 months I believe.  It sure beats the high expense of COBRA and should get you through.
    insurance

     


    Yes, unfortunately I do know what happens!  My husband has no insurance, but usually gets care through the VA.  In April, he had an emergency, ended up with a pacemaker, a gazillion tests, doctors, two hospitals, ambulance, etc.  Over $59,500.00 out of pocket expenses.  If the VA does not pay (it is with their review board), we will be paying until we die.  Some are taking as little as $25.00 a month, others are waiting for VA and then may reduce the charges somewhat.  It is very scary to be without insurance.  Try to get something for major hospital stays, surgeries, etc.  Also, short term and long term disability are good.  If you have any type of chronic condition, forget it.  I have diabetes and hypertension both - cannot get coverage anywhere - I have tried several times, so I can be flexible/part time.  Good Luck and God Bless You.


    E&O Insurance

    I bought a policy from State Farm.  It cost me $257 for the year.  I really have never heard of being able to cover it from home owner's policy, not unless it is for a small amount.  My policy consists of $250,000.


    I would call SF and ask them about it.


     


    Good Luck!!!


    E&O Insurance

    Are you a contractor for the hospital?  First, you need to make sure you know what limits they are requiring.  If they are requiring E&O ins., then they should have something in writing about the limits.  This is expensive insurance.  I used to be a CSR for an insurance agency. 


    It's not something that can be obtained through your homeowner's insurance.  Homeowner's insurance is occurance-based general liability (and property) insurance, whereas E&O insurance is claims-made liability.  Specifically it covers you if you get sued because of an error or an omission that you do that causes harm to someone. 


    It surprises me that the hospital is requiring it, though.  The doctors have to sign off on the reports that you type, thereby removing the liability from you and placing it on themselves.


    E&O Insurance
    I believe that $100,000 is sufficient, but I believe that most companies do not want to be involved in a lawsuit if something happens.  They only want the contractor to be responsible.