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Professional Liability Insurance

The 2023 & 2024 cost of the CSMLS insurance plan for $2Million Liability is $13 per member per year for medical laboratory technologists and $7 for medical laboratory assistants and MLT students, the cost for $5Million Liability coverage for medical laboratory technologist is $27 per member*. Comparable coverage purchased on an individual basis would cost anywhere from $1,600 to $2,500 per year.

All things considered, it's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

*Students are only covered for their clinical placements and must be supervised by an MLT or clinical instructor. Associate Non-Certified members may be eligible for Professional Liability Insurance. Please contact memserv@csmls.org to request more information.

  PLI Coverage

This summary is intended to be a brief outline of insurance coverages carried. Please refer to the policy wordings for specific conditions, limitations and exclusions.

This coverage is on a claims-made basis which means that in order for coverage to apply, the claim must be presented during the current policy period. Thus once coverage ends it is as if you have never had coverage. There are a few exceptions: retirement, death and disability. For these individuals coverage is indefinite for claims arising from services provided prior to leaving the profession. Anyone who is on maternity or parental leave should maintain insurance so that if a claim arises from services that were delivered while the member was working, the policy can be called upon to respond.

  CSMLS coverage includes the following:

for more specific details please contact memserv@csmls.org

  Legal Defence Coverage

The following limits apply:

  • $50,000 – Legally constituted tribunal in a Canadian province
  • $50,000 – Witness appearance
  • $50,000 – Coroner’s Inquest

An annual per member aggregate of $200,000 for all claims per member applies. For example, if a member has three claims in the same year, one for witness appearance of $50,000 and two for coroner's inquest at $50,000 and $20,000, the policy would pay $120,000.

  Legal Defence Coverage - Disciplinary Hearings

Allegations not involving sexual abuse or misconduct

  • $50,000 per member per claim
  • Policy will pay costs for legal representation regardless of outcome

Allegations involving sexual abuse, misconduct or anything of a sexual nature

  • $20,000 per member per claim
  • Policy will pay only if the outcome is acquittal or “not guilty.” If a case 'just goes away', policy will not pay.

Another annual per member aggregate of $200,000 for all claims per member applies for this endorsement.

Penal Defence Reimbursement

  • This coverage applies to actions brought against a member in criminal court
  • $150,000 per claim and annual aggregate limit per member.
  • The defence must obtain an acquittal or a return of a not guilty verdict. If a case is dropped because a plaintiff no longer wants to pursue the case or changes their mind, the policy will not pay.

  Professional Liability Coverage Limits

  • $2,000,000 per member per loss
  • $2,000,000 per member annually per policy period
  • Deductible: Nil

  Absolute Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Exclusions

A new exclusion was added to the policy in 2006 to make it clear that the insurer will not defend any professional liability claims in civil court that allege abuse. It reads as follows:

This policy shall not apply to any claim resulting directly, indirectly, in whole or in part from any actual or alleged

  1. sexual, physical, psychological or emotional abuse, molestation or harassment committed by, at the direction of, or with the knowledge of any person insured by this policy, or
  2. failure of any person insured by this policy to prevent sexual, physical, psychological or emotional abuse, molestation or harassment

New in 2017 the Insurer will reimburse the insured for legal costs, charges and expenses (excluding salaries or loss of income) incurred in defending allegations of sexual misconduct brought in Civil Court against the insured member up to a per occurrence and annual aggregate limit of $250,000 per insured member if the defence of such allegations proves to be "fully successful". For the purpose of this clause "fully successful" means a find of no liability or a dismissal.

  Cyber Security and Privacy Liability Extension

Cyber security and privacy liability is $75,000 per claim and is defined as an actual or alleged:

  1. Security breach
  2. Privacy breach; or
  3. Data personal injury
  4. Intellectual Property Infringement

  Important Conditions

  1. You must immediately report an incident that may result in a claim to Cowan Insurance Brokers Limited or to your association head office so that particulars of the claim may be forwarded to the Insurer for you.
  2. You may not take any action to defend yourself or to make any kind of settlement without agreement from the Insurer.

  Loss Prevention Information

Communication
Properly identify the patient. Explain the procedure and what the patient can expect. Make sure you have understanding and agreement before you begin.

Language 
Always use clinical terms for anatomical parts.

Professional Behaviour.
The best defence you have will be based on your character and professionalism. When other co-workers are present, be careful how you speak to one another in front of the patient. Remember that the patient or the family may be listening. If you are involved in a claim, do not discuss it openly in the workplace because the plaintiff’s investigator may be present.

Do not allow yourself to be pressured into doing anything you are not trained to do, certified for, or that would violate the standards of practice for medical laboratory technologists.

Take time to document everything properly. A daily diary recapping unusual circumstances can be valuable if you are being accused of a negligent act.

For more information on your Professional Liability and Legal Defence Insurance call:
Sigrid Neumann Cowan Insurance Group Limited.
1-800-263-8346 ext 42250

Extended PLI Coverage

CSMLS has a process to extend Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) for CSMLS Certified Diagnostic Cytology MLTs whose original certification does not include Histotechnology competencies. Please contact pla@csmls.org to see if you are eligible for this process.

For any other inquiry about extension of PLI coverage for competencies a CSMLS certificant may not be covered for contact memserv@csmls.org.

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement : We respectfully acknowledge the CSMLS office, located in Hamilton, Ontario, is situated upon the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Mississauga Nation, Anishinaabe Peoples, and the Neutral Peoples. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon wampum, which is a treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We further acknowledge that this land is covered by the Between the Lakes Treaty No. 3, 1792, between the Crown and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

 

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