Medical Centre Group - Vicarious Liability and $20M Limits in Three Days

A healthcare group operating three medical centres across NSW came to us with an urgent problem. They needed Professional Indemnity cover for their admin staff and vicarious liability protection in case a claim came through against one of their contracted GPs.

When we reviewed their existing insurances, the situation was worse than expected:

• One policy had been incorrectly classified as "Pharmacy Retail Operation" instead of Medical Centre
• Another policy had lapsed during a previous broker transition
• There were gaps in coverage that left the business exposed

Some policies were already expired. The group needed proper Medical Malpractice insurance in place to continue operating with confidence.

We started with a complete audit of their existing insurances across all entities. This gave us a clear picture of what was covered, what had lapsed, and where the gaps were.

• Full insurance review: We went through every policy across the group to identify exactly what needed attention
• Multiple market quotes: We approached several specialist healthcare underwriters to ensure competitive pricing and appropriate cover
• Retroactive date negotiation: For claims-made policies, protecting the retroactive date is critical. We negotiated with underwriters to match previous retroactive dates, ensuring no gaps in historical coverage
• Coordinated placement: We structured the placements so all entities were covered under consistent terms

Medical centre insurance is specialist territory. The combination of vicarious liability for contracted GPs, admin staff cover, and the specific exposures of a healthcare practice means most generalist insurers won't engage.

The incorrectly classified policy was a particular concern. If a claim had come through while the business was listed as a "Pharmacy Retail Operation", there could have been coverage disputes. Getting this corrected and properly documented was a priority.

The retroactive date negotiation was equally important. Medical Malpractice insurance is typically claims-made, meaning the policy that responds to a claim is the one in force when the claim is made, not when the incident occurred. Losing retroactive coverage could have left the business exposed to claims arising from past treatments.

We had everything sorted within three days of first contact:

The policies were placed through a specialist healthcare underwriting agency. The retroactive dates were matched to the original policy inception dates, ensuring complete historical coverage.

We also identified significant premium savings. One location came in at roughly 40% less than competing quotes for equivalent cover.

The group now has a single broker managing all their insurance needs, with a clear schedule of renewals and coordinated coverage across all locations.