Texas Medical Malpractice Insurance

Every interaction and healthcare decision a medical professional makes that impacts a patient’s care, puts them at risk for a malpractice claim. Texas has seen more than 55,000 medical malpractice claims over the last decade.Texas physicians should carry medical malpractice insurance. Medical malpractice lawsuits can be filed inTexas for a few different conflicts including: treatment discrepancies, perceived lack of treatment and other claimed departures from accepted Texas standards of medical care. As with any lawsuit, there must be proof that harm resulted from a Texas healthcare professional’s negligence. Learn more about Texas malpractice insurance requirements and how you can find optimal coverage for your unique needs. 

Medical malpractice requirements in Texas

The state of Texas does not legally require physicians to carry medical malpractice insurance to work. That does not mean that medical physicians do not have to have malpractice insurance. Hospitals, clinics and other healthcare facilities that employ doctors and medical practitioners may mandate providers have malpractice insurance in order to work there. Malpractice insurance protects individuals and practices from potential financial hardship and reputation damage. 

Most hospitals require a physician to carry malpractice insurance prior to granting admitting privileges. Some of the hospital systems requiring this include, but are not limited to: 

  • Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Temple
  • Baptist Medical Center in San Antonio
  • Ben Taub Hospital in Houston
  • Methodist Hospital in San Antonio
  • St. David’s Medical Center in Austin

Limits of Liability in Texas

The limits of liability in Texas which are $200k/$600k. What this means is that the insurance company we help place you with will cover you during the policy period up to $200 thousand per claim, with a cap of $600 thousand per year.

Buying malpractice insurance in Texas

The best way to buy medical malpractice coverage is through a reputable Texas licensed malpractice insurance broker. Malpractice insurance brokers generate multiple quotes specific for your unique needs. This allows you to pick the best coverage at the best price. Your broker will also walk you through the lengthy insurance application and underwriting process. View medical malpractice insurance quotes from every major Texas malpractice insurance company.

Our Physician Buyers Guide for malpractice insurance in Texas gives you the information necessary to get the best price for the strongest, most financially secure policy. Your main goal when buying coverage is to get a full view of the Texas marketplace to know which company is the best fit for you. Both from a price standpoint, as well as a company with strong financials. Choose a broker that offers you multiple quotes from all the major malpractice insurance companies in Texas.

Typically, the malpractice insurance buying process goes as follows:

  1. Submit your information for your free medical malpractice insurance quote from every major insurance company in Texas.
  2. You can always call us and speak to an agent immediately.
  3. A veteran medical malpractice insurance broker in Texas will be assigned to you.
  4. We shop your Physician Malpractice Insurance to every major malpractice insurance in Texas.
  5. Your Texas agent will take the time and go over all of your options with you, explaining everything to make certain you make the right decision.
  6. We get you your insurance policy at the best price with a major insurance company.
  7. At renewal time: We start the shopping process all over again, getting you quotes from all the major malpractice insurance companies to again make certain you’re properly priced.

Medical malpractice insurance cost in Texas

Rates in Texas vary greatly depending on where you practice. For example, a general surgeon in McAllen (Hidalgo County), which is located near the most southern part of the state, could see an annual malpractice premium of $49,500. That same general surgeon could move their medical practice to Dallas (Dallas County) and see their malpractice premium drop to $19,000. This is one of the many reasons it’s important to work with an insurance agency licensed in Texas that specializes in medical malpractice insurance. In addition to location, there are a few other factors that determine the cost of your insurance premium. 

Factors that Affect Malpractice Insurance Premiums:

  • Amount of coverage needed
    • More coverage means a higher premium 
  • Type of policy preferred
    • Every policy is different, every medical practitioner has different needs 
  • Medical speciality
    • Higher risk specialities that require unique expertise will naturally have higher premiums
  • Working hours
    • Longer working hours ( more strained individual) will have higher premiums
  • Previous malpractice claims history
    • If you have a history of claims, insurance companies will see you as a higher risk and require a higher premium to cover you

Medical malpractice mature, base rates with no credits or discounts in Texas: 

Texas

  • Internal Medicine Average Rate $4,222
  • General Surgeon Average Rate $14,988
  • OB/gyn – Average Rate $19,632
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Cunningham Group can typically get our clients a 30-50% reduction from these rates.

Save money by working with a malpractice insurance broker in Texas

You can save money on your medical malpractice insurance by working with an insurance agent or broker. Brokers shop for the best available policies to determine which ones are best suited for your unique needs at the lowest cost. In the medical malpractice insurance industry, agent commissions are already built into your premium. You pay the same amount for coverage whether you use an agent or purchase directly from the insurance company. Let us be your advocate. Request your free Texas medical malpractice insurance quote now.

  • The most common limits in Texas are $200k/$600k. Limits of liability play a major role in determining your overall cost. Some companies might recommend lowering your limits to lower your malpractice premium cost. We do not. We do not ever want to see client forced to pay a verdict out of pocket.
  • Check out our 7 secrets your medical malpractice insurance agent won’t tell you page to get insider information on buying coverage in Texas.

Best Texas medical malpractice insurance companies

  1. Texas Medical Liability Trust
  2. The Doctors Company
  3. ProAssurance
  4. Medical Protective
  5. ISMIE
  6. Aspen
  7. Columbia Casualty

Why Texas medical professionals choose Cunningham Group

Texas physicians choose Cunningham Group because we are one of the few medical malpractice insurance agencies that take the time to understand your specific employment situation and your approach to patient care. With access to every major medical malpractice insurance company in Texas, our team is uniquely qualified to get you the best coverage at the most affordable price. Most agents only have access to one or two medical malpractice insurance companies. Our almost-universal access lets us shop your coverage among nearly every available company, which means malpractice insurers compete for your business.

Request your free medical malpractice insurance quote and learn why more people choose us over anyone else in the nation.

Historic Medical Malpractice Insurance Rates in Texas for Physicians.

Brief History, Texas Tort Reform and other important facts of medical malpractice insurance in Texas.

Texas has a strong professional liability marketplace with many insurance options, but that wasn’t always the case. Texas implemented comprehensive reforms under the Medical Malpractice and Tort Reform Act of 2003.  Included in this act were caps on noneconomic damages in medical liability cases, changes to evidentiary procedures, joint and several liability reform and limiting damages to incurred costs, among others. The law had particular impact on the medical malpractice market because it employed a ballot initiative which immediately validated the caps. In many states, insurers take a wait-and-see approach to damage caps, as they are frequently determined to be unconstitutional by state supreme courts, as has happened in Illinois and Georgia, among others. In contrast, Texas’ caps were passed through a constitutional amendment and voted on by the citizenry, so there is little danger of the caps being rescinded in the future.

The effect on the Texas liability market was immediate and far-reaching. Since passing these reforms, malpractice rates in Texas have decreased sharply and the number of physicians in the state has increased. According to a joint report by the Heritage Foundation and the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the number of physicians practicing in Texas nearly doubled between 2003 and 2013, and the number of physicians in Texas is now growing at twice the rate of the state’s population.