Is Your Office Manager Covered? EPLI and Liability Insurance for Medical Practices

Running a medical practice often comes with unique challenges, especially when it comes to financially protecting your team and your business from unexpected risks. While incidents involving patients and treatment administration may be the first things to come to mind, internal issues can also present significant problems. Understanding how employment practices liability insurance (EPLI) can cover your staff, including office managers, is key.

Understanding EPLI for Medical Practices

In a medical office, where staff interactions are frequent and roles are varied, EPLI can be a critical safeguard. Furthermore, given the fast pace and potentially high stress levels in the health care field, misunderstandings and oversights could incur significant problems. Fortunately, a suitable EPLI policy can be designed to financially protect your practice from allegations of wrongful employment practices, such as the following:

• Wrongful termination
• Discrimination
• Harassment
• Failure to promote
• Negligent evaluation
• Breach of employment contract
• Mismanagement of employee benefits
• Improper hiring practices
• Invasion of privacy

If a current, former or prospective employee brings the following accusations against your office manager or other members of your business, you may receive financial aid for the following:

• Attorney fees
• Expert witness expenses
• Court costs
• Settlements
• Judgments

It’s important to review your policy to confirm that your office manager is specifically included, as coverage details can vary. Some policies may have exclusions or limitations based on job titles or responsibilities.

Other Key Liability Coverages for Medical Practices

Beyond EPLI, medical practices should consider additional liability insurance options to address a range of exposures. Specifically, the following types of policies may be valuable:

• General liability insurance can financially protect against third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage or reputational harm caused by your operations.
• Professional liability insurance, also known as medical malpractice insurance in the health care sector, can assist with legal costs and losses if a patient or client accuses you of making a mistake or misdiagnosis, or otherwise providing inadequate services.
• Directors and officers liability insurance can help insulate your business and its senior leaders from losses arising from claims of mismanagement.
• Commercial umbrella insurance can provide secondary liability coverage if the limits of certain other policies, such as general liability insurance, are exhausted.

We’re Here to Help

Contact us today to discuss your EPLI and liability coverage needs or compare quotes personalized with your medical office in mind.

This blog is intended for informational and educational use only. It is not exhaustive and should not be construed as legal advice. Please contact your insurance professional for further information.