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Insurance paid by employer or employee in Australia?

Discussion in 'Practice Management' started by Rudy, May 27, 2010.

  1. Rudy

    Rudy Active Member


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    I am wondering if people who employ other podiatrist in Australia supply PI insurance for their employees or do they ask pods to get their own? I guess I also want to know if the company is covered if the individual pods have their own insurance or do we need a company policy?
    I would love to know what other people are doing and if they are a company or a sole trader and if the pods are employed or contractors.
     
  2. Craig Payne

    Craig Payne Moderator

    Articles:
    8
    Re: Insurance

    It varies. Some employers pay it and some employees pay it. It all comes down to what was offered and what was negotiated as part of the contract of employment. In my wifes clinic, the employees pay there own professional costs (eg association membership; insurance...)
     
  3. Rudy

    Rudy Active Member

    Thanks for the info. I am actually wondering if there was a claim made would it be against the individual or the clinic. Therefore would the individuals insurance be enough to protect the clinic, especially if the pod is employed rather than contracting.
    Is your wife employed by the clinic she is working in?
     
  4. qldpod

    qldpod Member

    From whaqt I know it would usually be made against the individual not the company they work for. This would be if a podiatrist accidently cut a pt toe off that podiatrist would be responsible and a claim would be made against that individual. If a patient slipped in a clinic room well it would be the companies insurance that would cover. So it would depend on the claim on hand. I could be wrong but this is what I have been told previously.
     
  5. Rudy

    Rudy Active Member

    I have been advised that if you employ pods you need to have the insurance in the company name not their name. Otherwise you are not covered. Different to what I originally thought and how we have been set up.
     
  6. Nat Smith

    Nat Smith Active Member

    When talking about insurance, remember there are two types we need to consider: Professional Indemnity and Public Liability. Who gets sued, depends on the type of claim.

    All podiatrists are required to hold professional indemnity in their own name.

    The public liability insurance is required for the premises, and therefore is usually held by the practice owner, self-employed pod or landlord.

    When employing pods, it is not typical for the employer to either organise or pay for a pod's professional indemnity. I think it's generally regarded as a prerequisite for employment, the same as a pod being registered.

    Some employee contracts may offer a salary package whereby insurance and assoc memberships, even car leases, are paid on the pod's behalf as an extra incentive. You typically find these extra enticements in rural positions or any clinic that desperately needs to get a new pod on board.

    Essentially, an employer may offer to pay for all insurances as an incentive to get positions filled. However, I think you'll find that the clinic owner is only required to have the public liability in the company name.

    Anyone, correct me if I'm wrong?? I'm self-employed, so I'm stuck paying for all of it....

    Nat Smith
     
  7. Rudy

    Rudy Active Member

    That is what I have been lead to believe and i think it is common throughout pod in Australia. However if you have someone employed by you it is the company not the individual who is seen to have made the mistake. This means people who think they are covered by the indemnity insurance of the pods they employ are actually not covered. This is what i am being informed by both insurance and legal professionals. I would love some advice on this from within the podiatry ass.
     
  8. Tuckersm

    Tuckersm Well-Known Member

    Nat you are incorrect, the insurance doesn't need to be in your name.

    here is what is says on the PBOA web site

    Everyone working within the Public Sector is covered by their employers cover, ie the State Government, and group cover can be arranged for all types of practice settings. Most unions also provide a similar level of cover, and if you also take out your own insurance, you may be covered 3 times. then see the buck passing between insurance companies!
     
  9. Nat Smith

    Nat Smith Active Member

    Having never worked in the public sector, I have unfortunately never been privy to such perks.
    I would certainly love having some holiday or sick pay at my disposal too! Mmmm, why did I choose the private sector again??

    Rudy, I think your answer may actually lie in whether the pod is employed as an employee or as a contractor agreement.
    Seeing how litigious the world has become these days you can't have enough insurance either way...
     
  10. ELM

    ELM Member

    At my health service (community health), we are all covered by our employers insurance. However, if the health service is sued because of treatment given by any employee, they can then sue the individual employee in turn... needless to say, I have both kinds of insurance!
     
  11. DSP

    DSP Active Member

    Hi Nat,

    I have a similar understanding to you about this matter. I currently employ another pod where we have the arranegment that they organise their own professional indemnity insurance i.e. they have their own policy and I have mine.

    It's funny how these companies don't go into a lot of detail about this when you enquire over the telephone but in there defense they will say it's contained somewhere within the paperwork which you should have read.

    I see this as double dipping. I am going to contacy my insurer and get to the bottom of it.

    I use Guild insurance. Who do you use?

    Regards,

    Daniel
     
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