Medical Indemnity Insurance Australia
We insure the following
- Anaesthesia
- Bariatric Surgery – (Includes work in the General Surgery specialisation but also includes Bariatric procedures)
- Cardiology – Non-Interventional (Excludes any interventional procedures)
- Cardiology – Interventional (Includes work in Cardiology – Non-Interventional specialisation but also includes interventional procedures)
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Colorectal Surgery
- Cosmetic Non-Surgical (Includes photodynamic therapy, minor cosmetics, resurfacing lasers (including ablative), kybella, injectables, anti-wrinkle and dermal fillers, cosmetic laser, collagen induction therapy (micro-needling), Sclerotherapy and microsclerotherapy, radiofrequency machines, superficial facial peels microdermabrasion, Belkyra, IPL/low level cosmetic laser.)
- Cosmetic Surgical (Includes cutting beneath the skin and major cosmetic procedures such as fat grafting, blepharoplasty, breast augmentation and hair transplant.)
- Dermatology
- Doctor in Training
- Emergency Medicine
- Endocrine Surgery
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- General Physician
- General Practice – Minor-Procedural (Any non-procedural or minor procedural work. Includes IUD and insertion, minor skin procedures such as excisions or punch biopsies of skin lesions, removal of ingrown toenails, shared antenatal care, injections such as immunisations (iron deficiency injections). Excludes anaesthetic, cosmetic, and obstetric work
- General Practice – Procedural (Includes Minor Procedural activities plus Procedural work. Includes regional anaesthetic, circumcision, and vasectomy. Doctors working in Skin Cancer clinics should select this category.) Excludes obstetrics unless care is shared antenatal.
- General Practice – Obstetrics (Includes Minor Procedural and Procedural & Skin Cancer activities plus general anaesthetic and obstetrics.)
- General Surgery (Excludes any Bariatric procedures)
- Genetics
- Geriatric Medicine
- Gynaecology/IVF
- Haematology
- Hospital Medical Officer
- Immunology and Allergy
- Infectious Diseases
- Intensive Care
- Medico-Legal
- Nephrology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Nuclear Medicine
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Occupational Medicine
- Oncology
- Ophthalmology – Non-Procedural (Excludes any surgical procedures)
- Ophthalmology – Procedural (Includes work in the Ophthalmology – Non-Procedural specialisation but also includes surgical procedures)
- Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
- Orthopaedic Surgery (Excludes any neck or spinal procedures)
- Orthopaedic Surgery – Incl. Spinal and Neck (Includes work in the Orthopaedic Surgery specialisation but also includes any neck or spinal procedures)
- Otolaryngology (Surgery)
- Pathology
- Paediatric Surgery
- Paediatrics
- Pain Management
- Palliative Care
- Pharmacology
- Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (Excludes any cosmetic procedures)
- Plastic, Reconstructive And Cosmetic Surgery (Includes work in the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery specialisation but also includes any cosmetic procedures)
- Psychiatry
- Public And Community Health
- Radiation Oncology
- Radiology
- Rehabilitation
- Respiratory Medicine
- Rheumatology
- Sports Medicine
- Surgical Assisting
- Ultrasound – Diagnostic
- Urology
- Vascular Surgery
Tego provides specialised medical indemnity insurance for doctors in Australia. The insurance includes 24/7 medico legal advice giving doctors access to highly experienced medical lawyers.
All medical indemnity insurance in Australia must meet the minimum product standards prescribed in the Commonwealth Medical Indemnity (Prudential Supervision and Product Standards) Act 2003.
Under the Australian National Law, all practising medical practitioners must have medical indemnity insurance in place or otherwise be indemnified for their entire scope of practice, whether via their employer’s indemnity arrangements or through their own medical indemnity insurer. This means it is mandatory for all doctors in private practice to have their own medical indemnity insurance in Australia. It is also a requirement for registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Authority (AHPRA).
Medical indemnity insurance in Australia typically provide $20 million cover, however different policies apply different sub-limits to non-civil claims – meaning that specific cover will vary between policies. Some policies, not all, also include cover for exposures such as costs towards protecting your reputation (eg. in the event of adverse social media) and pursuing or defending defamation claims, Medicare audits, tax audits, employment disputes, as well as cover for statutory penalties (such as privacy breaches) and loss of income if you are required to attend court.
Medical indemnity insurance in Australia is provided on a ‘claims made’ basis, which means you are required to notify your insurer as soon as you become aware of a claim (or of circumstances which a reasonable person would expect may result in a claim). Any claims made under one policy will continue to be covered by that policy even if you switch insurers.
It is also a requirement that your insurance includes adequate retroactive cover for all prior practice in Australia, so it is important you check the retroactive date under your policy (also known as “tail cover”).
Medical Indemnity Insurance in Australia for overseas doctors.
For doctors, moving to a new country is a daunting prospect and as a qualified doctor heading for Australia there are several things you should consider in time for your arrival:
Step One – Registration
Step Two – Learn the Lingo
It’s important to remember that you are not just moving to another country to work, you may also be moving into a new culture or language. The Australian Values Statement is part of the application for permanent residency but even if you are only coming on a sponsored working visa it is a sensible idea to familiarise yourself with it. This will help you settle into your new lifestyle and workplace comfortably. You may also want to read up on particulars of Australian medical practice, particularly expressions and terminology, to avoid any lost in translation moments. A good starting point for that is the Australian Medicines Handbook.
Step Three – Insurance, Insurance, Insurance
Doctors working in the private sector are required by law to hold their own medical indemnity insurance in Australia. It is highly recommended that you seek the independent expertise of an insurance broker who can help you compare the options available and make sure you find appropriate cover. The Australian Government Department of Health provides a list of the five medical indemnity insurers in Australia.
Step Four – Keep in the loop
The last step is to register with the medical college, society or organisation which focuses on your practice specialty to keep up to date with industry news via events, regular publications and access to content online. Not only will this help you stay on top of the latest professional matters but it will provide you with access to a social and support network of your fellow doctors.
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What our customers are saying
David Moore, Obstetrician, Gynaecologist & Fertility Specialist
Being a FRANZCOG doesn’t necessarily mean 100% of my billings comes from the high-risk practice of obstetrics; I work also in gynaecology and fertility, both of which represent a lower claims risk to me and my indemnity provider. Tego offered something no other provider did (and I asked all of them!): they tailored my indemnity policy to my actual practice. Not only was Tego’s policy equal to the best policies on the market in terms of cover and facilities, it was significantly more affordable; more importantly, it was reflective of my actual practice.
Dr. Benjamin Olesnicky Anaesthetist
The cover with Tego was more comprehensive than my existing insurer and I was pleasantly surprised to see some great savings on my premium. As a doctor passionate about patient safety and research, it’s great to see Tego support some of the projects we are running at the Northern Sydney Anaesthesia Research Institute (NSARI). Tego are attentive and treat me like an individual – not just a policy holder.
Dr Alina Zeldovich, Ophthalmologist & Co-Founder Beamers
I was very impressed with the way Tego’s underwriters assessed me on my individual merits. Once I compared the cover with my existing insurer, I realised that Tego was offering broader cover at a more competitive premium. It was an easy switch and I have been really happy with their service.
Dr. Johnny Levy Medical Director, Primary Health Care Limited
I have found the legal advice – on a range of issues – given by Tego to be very useful. All interactions have been timely, friendly and have answered my questions fully.
