Professional Indemnity Insurance

The ADAQ QBE policy will provide indemnity for Your past activities as far back up as the Retroactive Date shown in your quotation schedule. In most instances this will show Unlimited which means you are covered for your activities back to when you first commenced practice in your current discipline or one similar. The issue to be aware of is really focused around any potential claims you are aware of but have not informed your existing insurer of. It is important to note therefore that if you are aware of circumstances from past treatments that might reasonably be known to have the potential to give rise to a claim in the future, it should be notified to your existing insurer prior to any move.

PI insurance protects against a legal claim alleging that you have been negligent in the practise of the profession of dentistry. It covers the costs and expenses of defending a legal claim, as well as any damages (compensation) payable.

The Dental Board requires the PI policy to cover all aspects of your practice, all locations where you practice and include appropriate retroactive cover and automatic reinstatement. The ADAQ QBE policy meets these requirements, as standard.

You are personally responsible for meeting the Dental Board’s registration standards relating to PI insurance. AHPRA undertake random audits to ensure that you have appropriate coverage. If you are practising without adequate PI insurance, AHPRA can take action against you which may include, for example, suspending your registration. Having appropriate PI insurance also provides you with personal security, it means that you are not personally liable to make payment for claims made against you.

There are three main elements to establishing negligence:

1. That you owed a duty of care to the patient;
2. That the appropriate standard of care has been breached; and
3. That as a result of the breach, damage has been caused to the patient.
   

You are covered for cosmetic injectables provided as part of a dental procedure but not where the procedure is solely for cosmetic improvement purposes. An Optional Extension is available to extend indemnity for injectable procedures purely for cosmetic improvement. If You have not applied for this Optional Extension at the commencement of your policy, you can request this additional cover at any time subject to certain conditions.  

Please contact us for further information and premium details for botox and dermal filler policy extension.

This year the ADAQ QBE Member Professional indemnity insurance policy continues to maintain cover for implants without the need to pay any additional premium.

The ADAQ QBE Members Professional Indemnity policy will as standard provide unlimited retroactive cover for ADAQ members. Limited exceptions do apply, so it is important to refer to your policy schedule to check Your Retroactive Date.  

Unlimited run-off cover is available to qualifying members upon application to ADAQ. For qualifying members applying for this cover within 90 days of ceasing practice, Your policy will be endorsed to provide ongoing indemnity for Your activities performed up until the date You ceased practice.

It is important to notify ADAQ of the cessation of Your practice. If you don't advise ADAQ, Your policy will not be endorsed to provide run-off cover which may expose you to liability arising from claims, you first learn about beyond the date you ceased practice. 

The ADAQ QBE PI Policy covers the practise of dentistry in any of the following fields:

• dento-maxillofacial radiologist/oral and maxillofacial radiologist/dental radiologist;
• endodontist;
• specialist in oral medicine/oral medicine specialist;
• oral pathologist;
• orthodontist;
• specialist in paediatric dentistry/paediatric dentist/paedodontist;
• periodontist;
• prosthodontist;
• specialist in public health dentistry;
• specialist in special needs dentistry;
• forensic odontologist/forensic dentist;
• dental hygienist;
• dental therapist;
• oral health therapist;
• dentist;
• clinical supervision of other practitioners;
• audit of other practitioners; and
• training of other practitioners.
  *Please note the policy does not provide coverage to oral and maxillofacial surgeons.
  
  

   

The ADAQ QBE PI Policy also provides limited additional cover (at no extra cost) for:

• Official investigations and enquiries
• Defamation
• Intellectual property
• Medicare fraud and audit
• Health fund audits
• Privacy complaints
• Consumer law claims
• Loss of documents
• Court attendance costs
• Public relations expenses
• Molestation cover
• Emergency first aid