Med-Mal 101 / Course 01
Med-Mal 101
How to read a malpractice policy, compare rates, preserve coverage for prior care, and choose terms that fit the physician and practice.
A valid comparison uses the same insured physicians, entities, services, coverage dates, and limits for every quote.
Review the full policy before you buy it.
Compare the coverage form, limits, claim terms, prior-care protection, carrier, and total price.
Buying medical malpractice insurance
A physician guide to comparing coverage forms, limits, dates, terms, applications, and price, with California filed-rate examples.
Calculators and checklists.
The tools compare rates, estimate costs, explain contract terms, and calculate renewal dates.
See all toolsCalifornia rate explorer
Compare filed base rates by carrier, specialty, and territory.
Use the rate explorerFiled rate comparison
Compare the same specialty and territory across available filed-rate datasets.
Compare filed ratesTail cost estimator
Apply filed tail factors to the filed base premium for a specialty and county.
Estimate a tail costClaims-made or occurrence comparison
Compare the timing and cumulative cost pattern of two policy forms.
Compare policy formsRenewal timeline
Calculate review dates from a renewal or coverage start month.
Calculate review datesTail responsibility checklist
Follow the policy owner, tail clause, departure condition, written offer, and acceptance deadline.
Use the tail checklistGuides in Med-Mal 101.
Part 01
Buying the policy
Compare limits, policy terms, and price before you buy.
- 01 Read the guide
Ten questions California physicians ask about malpractice insurance.
Direct answers about cost, limits, policy forms, reporting dates, claim terms, and carrier structure - with the California numbers shown.
Part 02
Check when coverage applies
Learn which policy covers a claim and how to preserve coverage for prior care.
- 02 Read the guide
Claims-made and occurrence policies.
How each policy form responds when you change jobs, change carriers, or retire.
- 03 Read the guide
Tail coverage, prior acts coverage, and retroactive dates.
How to preserve coverage for earlier care when a claims-made policy ends.
- 04 Read the guide
When a claims-made policy recognizes a claim.
How claim definitions, incident notices, and reporting deadlines affect coverage.
Part 03
Read the limits and terms
Compare the provisions that control defense, settlement, exclusions, and available limits.
- 05 Read the guide
Seven questions to ask before choosing a carrier.
How a physician can compare medical liability carriers, forms, and quoted coverage without mistaking a brand or price for protection.
- 06 Read the guide
Per-claim, aggregate, shared, and separate limits.
How per-claim, aggregate, shared, and separate limits can affect physicians, groups, entities, and clinical teams.
- 07 Read the guide
How much malpractice coverage should a California physician carry?
How to compare contract requirements, limit structure, defense costs, practice exposure, and the actual policy terms.
- 08 Read the guide
Consent to settle and hammer clauses.
How California reporting rules and policy terms can affect a medical malpractice settlement decision.
- 09 Read the guide
Defense costs inside or outside policy limits.
How defense-expense terms can change the insurance remaining for a malpractice claim.
- 10 Read the guide
What a medical malpractice policy can exclude or limit.
How to find exclusions, sublimits, conditions, and endorsements before a new service or role creates an uninsured exposure.
Part 04
California law and market data
Review California law, regulation, carrier structure, and payment data.
- 11 Read the guide
How MICRA affects California malpractice claims.
What California caps, what remains uncapped, and how the statutory schedule works.
- 12 Read the guide
Admitted and surplus lines medical malpractice insurance in California.
How carrier status affects rate approval, policy forms, insolvency protection, and placement in California.
- 13 Read the guide
How carrier ownership affects a medical malpractice policy.
How stock insurers, mutual insurers, reciprocal exchanges, and interindemnity arrangements differ.
- 14 Read the guide
California medical malpractice payment trends.
What California physician payment-report data can show - and what it cannot tell a physician about one future claim.