Find insurance for nurses in Pennsylvania
Learn about nursing insurance requirements and the most common policies for healthcare professionals in Pennsylvania.
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What are the most common insurance policies for nurses in Pennsylvania?
Nurses may need different types of insurance depending on the work they do. These are the most popular insurance policies for Pennsylvania nurses, which protect against financial losses from accidents and lawsuits.
Professional liability / medical malpractice
Professional liability coverage, also called medical malpractice insurance, covers attorney's fees and other expenses if a patient sues a nurse for an error, such as an incorrect dosage.
- Oversights in care
- Documentation errors
- Failure to monitor a patient
Workers’ compensation insurance
Pennsylvania requires workers’ comp for businesses with at least one employee. It also protects sole proprietors from work injury costs that health insurance might deny.
- Employee medical expenses
- Disability benefits
- Legal fees from employee injuries
Business owner’s policy
A business owner's policy, or BOP, is a cost-effective way for RNs, LPNs, and other kinds of nurses to buy general liability insurance and commercial property insurance together.
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Damaged patient property
- Business property damage and theft
General liability insurance
This policy helps pay for lawsuits from common accidents, such as a patient who slips during a wheelchair transfer and suffers a concussion. It's often required for a commercial lease.
- Patient bodily injuries
- Accidental damage to patient property
- Libel and other advertising injuries
Cyber insurance
This policy helps nurses pay costs associated with data breaches and cyberattacks. It can often be added to a business owner's policy or general liability policy for savings.
- Customer notification expenses
- Data breach lawsuits
- Fraud monitoring costs
Commercial auto insurance
Pennsylvania law requires commercial auto insurance for vehicles owned by a nurse's practice. It helps cover the cost of an accident involving your business vehicle.
- Damage caused by your vehicle
- Medical bills from an auto accident
- Vehicle theft and vandalism
Which policies are required for nurses in Pennsylvania?
Whether you're in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, or elsewhere in the state, nurses in Pennsylvania typically must carry the following types of insurance coverage to comply with laws and contracts:
General liability insurance
Pennsylvania doesn’t require nurses to have general liability insurance, but if you sign a commercial lease for your clinic or office space, your landlord will probably require it.
This policy covers costs related to:
- Bodily injury: Handles legal fees if a patient trips over a loose rug in your clinic and sprains their ankle.
- Property damage: Pays for damages if you accidentally sit on a patient's glasses and break them.
General liability also covers advertising injuries, such as copyright infringement, but defamation and invasion of privacy are not covered claims. These are considered a breach of duty in patient care and would be covered by malpractice insurance.
Professional liability / Medical malpractice insurance
Nurses in Pennsylvania aren’t legally mandated to have medical malpractice insurance, also referred to as professional liability insurance. However, it may be required for employment by many hospitals and healthcare facilities.
As part of your risk management plan, you should consider purchasing malpractice coverage. Sometimes employers will offer nursing malpractice insurance, but most employers' policies have limited coverage and prioritize their interests. Having your own policy gives you the peace of mind that your well-being will also be represented if a case ends up in court.
A malpractice insurance policy includes:
- Legal defense costs related to mistakes, oversights, and other instances of professional negligence.
- Breaches of patient confidentiality, which includes invasion of privacy, such as if a patient sues you for posting their photo on social media without their permission.
As part of their malpractice coverage, nurses can secure coverage for specialized risks and malpractice claims such as:
- License defense coverage
- Biomedical defense coverage
- HIPAA defense coverage
- Sexual misconduct defense coverage
- Telemedicine coverage
- Nursing home, hospice, and home health coverage
Workers' compensation insurance
Any business in Pennsylvania with at least one employee is required to provide workers’ compensation insurance. If you’re a sole proprietor, you should also consider workers’ comp coverage, as health insurance can deny claims for job-related injuries.
This policy provides:
- Medical bill coverage for work-related injuries and occupational diseases.
- Disability benefits to offset lost wages for Pennsylvania workers recovering from a job-related injury, such as a strained back caused by lifting a patient.
- Employer's liability insurance, which covers legal costs if an employee sues their employer over an injury.
Commercial auto insurance
Pennsylvania requires commercial auto insurance for nursing practices and medical facilities that use a vehicle for business. This covers accident-related property damage and medical bills. Depending on your coverage options, a policy can also pay for vehicle theft, weather damage, and vandalism.
Pennsylvania’s minimum requirements for auto insurance are:
- $15,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $30,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $5,000 property damage liability per accident
- $5,000 medical benefits
If you travel for work and you take your own car, or you rent or lease a vehicle, personal auto insurance won't cover work-related driving. In that case, you’ll need hired and non-owned auto insurance (HNOA), which can typically be added to your general liability policy as an endorsement.
How much does business insurance cost for Pennsylvania nurses?
Nurses in Pennsylvania who buy policies from Insureon pay an average of:
Malpractice insurance: $58 per month
Workers’ compensation: $46 per month
Business owner’s policy: $64 per month
Several factors affect the cost of insurance for nurses, including:
- The professional services you provide
- Business property and equipment
- Business income and size
- Years of experience
- Policy limits and deductibles
- Claims history
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How do I become a licensed nurse in Pennsylvania?
There are two ways to become a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) in Pennsylvania, depending on your background and experience.
License by examination
If you’re a recent graduate, you can get your license by examination following these steps:
- Complete an accredited nursing program
- Apply on the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) website
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)
- Submit to a criminal background check
- Complete Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Training
License by endorsement
If you’re already licensed in another state, you can obtain a Pennsylvania license by endorsement via these steps:
- Apply on the PALS website
- Verify your existing license on the Nursys® system
- Submit a criminal background check
- Complete Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Training
Nurse practitioner (NP) license
Healthcare providers looking to obtain a nurse practitioner license in Pennsylvania must:
- Have an RN license
- Complete an approved post-graduate nursing program in their NP specialty
- Obtain national certification from an approved organization, such as the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP)
- Apply on the PALS website
To renew a nursing license, RNs, LPNs, and NPs must complete Pennsylvania’s continuing education requirements and apply for renewal through PALS.
Failing to obtain the necessary license before performing work in Pennsylvania could mean considerable penalties, including fines, probation, and possible license suspension.
How do I get Pennsylvania nursing insurance?
Insureon helps Pennsylvania nurses save time and money shopping for nursing liability insurance and other types of coverage by comparing quotes from top-rated U.S. insurance companies.
Our insurance agents are licensed in Pennsylvania and can answer your questions as you consider coverage.
To speed up the application process, have this information handy:
- Workforce details, such as number of employees
- Current and projected revenue
- Business partnerships
- Desired coverage limits
- Claims history
- Insurance requirements of any leases or contracts
Apply for free insurance quotes today. We can work with you to identify and purchase the best insurance solutions for your nursing practice. Most small business owners receive a certificate of insurance the same day.