Moonlighting Malpractice Insurance

What is a Moonlighting Physician?

Moonlighting (taking on a second job) is a way for medical care providers to supplement their income by providing their expertise at healthcare facilities in need. Medical practitioners can participate in moonlighting opportunities at any point in their career, as long as their current employment contract does not prohibit it.

Physician moonlighting allows doctors to take on clinical work outside their primary employment. Physicians may moonlight to supplement their income, gain experience in another setting, fill temporary staffing needs, or provide care in underserved communities. Some physicians may choose to moonlight as a way to give back to the medical community.

Examples of Moonlighting Opportunities:

Telemedicine

• Works well for moonlighting because it allows you to work remotely between shifts on your own designated time.

 Locum tenens

• These are temporary roles to help fill in employment gaps and physician shortages. You may be able to find these short-term positions at your current hospital or clinic.

 Rural Area Support

• Many rural towns are struggling with a shortage of medical practitioners. Moonlighting at rural clinics, hospitals and other health care facilities is not only a good opportunity but also provides much needed medical care to the community. 

Unique Moonlighting Malpractice Insurance Considerations 

1. Confirm that your current employment contract does not prohibit you from moonlighting.
2. Don’t assume your current policy will cover you: Many physicians will try to have their primary liability insurance company pick up their extra hours, but usually they will exclude coverage for anything outside the doctor’s full-time practice. Most moonlighting policies are part-time. This means that the liability policy covers the physician for often 20 hours or less per week. Physicians should be aware that the policies contain the same features as their full-time coverage, and if they leave the policy, and they have purchased a claims-made policy, they will have to purchase a tail.
3. Different positions require different kinds of policies: Most of the admitted insurance companies will cover a moonlighting position, but it depends on the situation. Some moonlighting duties may fall outside the underwriting appetite of standard admitted carriers and may require specialized coverage. This can depend on the physician’s specialty, procedures, practice setting and other risk characteristics.
4. Moonlighting outside of your specialty: Most liability insurance companies will require proof-of-training in order to provide coverage.
5. Know the details of your position: It is important to provide as much detail as possible about your moonlighting position to your liability agent when seeking coverage. You should provide your agent with: Name and address of position location, specialty, duties & responsibilities, number of hours per week and effective coverage date.

Save Money by Working with a Malpractice Insurance Agent

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 medical malpractice insurance quote now.

Why Moonlighting Physicians Choose Cunningham Group

Moonlighting 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 every state, 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.

How Does the Process Work?

1. You will submit your information through a secure medical malpractice insurance quote form.
2. You can always call us and speak to an agent immediately.
3. A veteran medical malpractice insurance broker will be assigned to you.
4. We shop your Medical Moonlighting Insurance to every major malpractice insurance company in your state.
5. Your 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.

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

What Does Moonlighting Malpractice Insurance Cover?

Moonlighting malpractice insurance provides professional liability protection for physicians performing clinical work outside their primary employment. It can help protect a moonlighting physician against covered claims alleging negligence, errors, or omissions arising from the professional services included in the policy.

The key is making sure the policy explicitly covers your moonlighting activities. Medical malpractice insurance provided by your primary employer may be limited to services you perform as part of that job. Outside clinical work, including telemedicine, locum tenens assignments, or other part-time positions, may be excluded.

Before accepting a position, confirm whether the moonlighting employer provides malpractice insurance coverage. If it does, review the policy type, liability limits, and covered activities to make sure the protection applies to the work you will actually perform.

Do Moonlighting Physicians Need Separate Medical Malpractice Insurance?

Not every moonlighting physician needs a separate policy, but you should never assume your existing malpractice insurance follows you to a second job.

You may need separate medical malpractice insurance if:

• Your primary employer excludes outside clinical work.
• The moonlighting employer does not provide malpractice insurance.
• The coverage provided does not meet the liability limits required for the position.
• Your outside duties or procedures fall outside the scope of your existing policy.
• You work as an independent contractor and are responsible for obtaining your own coverage.

Many moonlighting policies are designed for part-time work, often 20 hours or less per week, although eligibility requirements vary by insurance company. Coverage options and premiums can also vary based on your specialty, clinical duties, procedures, hours worked, and practice location.

If your moonlighting responsibilities differ from your primary specialty, an insurer may also require proof of appropriate training or credentials before offering coverage.

How Much Does Moonlighting Malpractice Insurance Cost?

There is no universal price for moonlighting malpractice insurance. Premiums reflect the specific risks associated with the physician and the work being performed.

Factors that can affect the cost of coverage include:

• Medical specialty
• Procedures and clinical duties
• Number of hours worked
• State and practice location
• Claims history
• Prior malpractice insurance history
• Requested liability limits
• Claims-made versus occurrence coverage
• Training and credentials

Policy limits and premiums can vary significantly based on specialty, practice location, and other underwriting considerations. A physician working limited hours in one type of clinical setting may have very different coverage needs from a physician performing higher-risk procedures at a second practice.

When comparing quotes, make sure you are evaluating policies with similar limits and coverage terms. Cunningham Group works with all major medical malpractice insurance carriers, allowing our agents to compare available options rather than relying on a quote from only one or two companies.

Claims-Made vs. Occurrence Coverage for Moonlighting

When comparing malpractice insurance for moonlighting, it is important to understand whether a policy provides claims-made or occurrence coverage. The difference can affect both your protection after the position ends and your total cost of coverage.

Claims-made coverage generally covers claims when the incident occurs after the policy’s retroactive date, and the claim is reported while the policy remains active. If you leave your moonlighting position or cancel the policy, you may need tail coverage, also known as extended reporting coverage, to continue reporting covered claims arising from incidents that occurred during the policy period. Tail coverage can be expensive, with costs varying by specialty, location, carrier, and other factors.

Occurrence coverage generally covers incidents that occur while the policy is active, even if the resulting claim is reported after the policy ends. Because coverage is tied to when the incident occurred, tail coverage is generally not necessary.

Before choosing moonlighting malpractice insurance, compare more than the initial premium. Consider the policy type, coverage limits, and any potential tail costs. If a moonlighting employer provides your medical malpractice insurance, also confirm who would be responsible for tail coverage if the position ends.

Frequently Asked Questions About Moonlighting Malpractice Insurance

Get Moonlighting Malpractice Insurance Before You Start

Do not wait until after you begin seeing patients to determine whether your outside work is covered. Review your primary employment agreement, confirm what coverage the moonlighting employer provides, and make sure your malpractice insurance protects the specific professional services you will perform.

Cunningham Group is the nation’s largest independent medical malpractice insurance agency, with access to all major malpractice insurance carriers. Our experienced agents understand the unique coverage issues physicians can encounter when working outside their primary practice and can help you compare coverage, limits, policy types, and pricing from multiple carriers.

The Ultimate Physician Medical Malpractice Insurance Guide

We’ve created the ultimate medical malpractice insurance guide for physicians that can answer almost any question you may have — either before you buy or while you have an active policy. This guide applies to all physician specialties in every state.