General liability insurance for healthcare facilities

Healthcare facilities are focused on wellness – but that won't protect you from injuries or accidents at your clinic or office. If a patient trips on an uneven step, or an employee drops a patient's smartphone, you could face a lawsuit.

General liability insurance can help cover losses and expenses when property damage or an injury occurs. This policy is often required when you sign a commercial lease.

This policy provides liability coverage related to:

• Patient injuries
• Patient property damage
• Advertising injuries

Most healthcare facilities need property coverage in addition to coverage for common third-party risks, which is why a business owner's policy (BOP) might be the best option. A BOP bundles general liability insurance with commercial property insurance at a lower rate than purchasing each policy separately.

Small, low-risk businesses usually qualify for this type of insurance. Healthcare facilities that are eligible for a BOP usually:

• Have fewer than 100 employees
• Have a small office or workplace
• Make less than $1 million in annual revenue
• Operate in a low-risk industry
• Need 12 months or less of business interruption insurance

Talk to a licensed Insureon agent who specializes in the healthcare industry to find out if a BOP fits your business.

Accidents happen, no matter how prepared you are. If a patient trips and breaks a wrist at your medical office, you may have to cover the cost of a lawsuit out of pocket if you don’t carry general liability insurance.

General liability insurance typically helps cover:

• Medical costs
• Attorney's fees
• Settlements or judgments

This policy covers injuries to patients, visitors, and other non-employees. For employee injury coverage, you'll need workers’ compensation insurance.

General liability insurance protects you when a patient's property is damaged. If an employee at your laser eye center drops a patient's eyeglasses, for example, your general liability policy could help pay for its replacement. It could also pay your legal costs if the patient sues, including the cost of hiring a lawyer.

When advertising your healthcare facility, it’s possible to inadvertently copy a competitor’s slogan or logo, or offend one of your competitors with a false statement about their services.

Advertising injuries are covered by general liability insurance. That includes:

• Written defamation (libel)
• Spoken defamation (slander)
• Copyright infringement

If you run a social media campaign to draw clients to your dialysis center, for example, you’ll want to make sure your insurance includes this protection.

General liability insurance provides critical protection against common risks. However, it does not cover employee injuries, lawsuits over professional mistakes, data breaches, and other costly incidents. Other policies to consider include:

Workers’ compensation insurance: Workers' comp is required in almost every state for healthcare facilities with employees. This policy covers medical costs for work-related injuries and illnesses.

Cyber liability insurance: This policy helps healthcare facilities survive data breaches and cyberattacks by covering associated costs, such as notifying patients that their data was exposed.

Professional liability insurance: Also called malpractice insurance, this policy covers legal expenses related to accusations of negligence or mistakes, such as a nurse administering incorrect medication.

Commercial auto insurance: This policy is usually required for business-owned vehicles, such as a mobile dialysis unit. It covers legal costs if your healthcare facility is sued over an accident.

Are you ready to protect your healthcare facility with general liability insurance or another policy? Complete Insureon’s easy online application to compare quotes from top U.S. insurers. Once you find a policy that fits your needs, you can begin coverage in less than 24 hours.