Exercise Your Right to Choose
1. Why should I change insurers?
Big changes are happening in medical indemnity. The MDA National Group exists to protect Members’ interests - are you sure that your insurer does the same?
When it comes to indemnity, the last thing you want is to be “just another number” to your insurer. You deserve an organisation that considers Members its number one priority. You deserve an organisation that understands you and considers you as an individual. You deserve to be kept informed. You deserve an insurer that has a sound and sustainable plan for steady growth over the long term. Most of all, you deserve for your interests to be protected and considered at every step.
Your medical indemnity provider is your decision. Exercise your right to choose.
Changing indemnity providers is simpler and less expensive than you may expect. Read ‘What do I need to know about switching?’ for step by step details on how to change insurers.
2. Who is MDA National?
Support, Protect, Promote. MDA National’s commitment to Members has been encapsulated by these three words since our foundation in 1925. The objectives for which the Association was established are:
- to support and protect... the character and interests of medical practitioners practising or eligible to practise as such in accordance with the laws of the States or Territories of Australia and of students enrolled in the study of medicine at universities or other tertiary education institutions approved by Council; and
- to promote honourable and contemporary practice by medical practitioners and to discourage irregular practice by medical practitioners.
(Rules, Medical Defence Association of WA, October 1925)
At MDA National, we honour these objectives by providing support to Members via our medico-legal advisory services. We protect our Members’ future through the Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy, underwritten by our wholly owned insurer MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd, and we strive to promote the profession as a whole through the implementation of sound risk management education and analysis.
Although these objectives were established over 80 years ago, we believe that in today’s indemnity environment they are more relevant than ever. Our Members are our priority – it’s that simple.
3. Why should I choose MDA National?
Although we are a group that operates Australia wide, at MDA National we strive to provide local and personalised service to our Members. We believe that National commitment grows from a local base. MDA National has offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, which enables us to keep in touch with our Members needs.
We also have the President's Medical Liaison Council consisting of local doctor Members. This allows us to maintain a genuine understanding of the State specific circumstances and issues for local doctors.
We believe that the reason for our ongoing success is our unwavering commitment to our Members.
4. What about financial stability?
Our Members enjoy the security of a financially stable organisation with realistic long term plans for managed growth and development. This allows us the flexibility to develop insurance products that meet the changing needs of the medical profession.
The priority for indemnity insurers should be to provide a financially secure organisation for Members and to minimise disruption to the provision of services for doctors. We make it our business to keep indemnity as simple as possible and ensure that our core business remains focused on Members, not market share.
At MDA National, we serve our Members through solid financial management and realistic plans for managed growth. This strategy allows us to offer Members competitive indemnity insurance premiums.
5. What Risk Management services do you offer?
The MDA National approach to risk management is to make it simple, practical and personal. We believe that risk management activities should encourage safety and confidence in medical practice and that doctors themselves are in the best position to select the risk management strategies appropriate to their practice. Our Support in Practice Program (SiPP) reflects this approach by offering a blend of services designed to assist Members manage the risks inherent in medical practice. They can be selected to suit individual Members needs and include:
- workshops on key risk management topics
- online risk management programs
- Medico-legal Handbook for General Practice
- practice visits
All MDA National Risk Management activities are available at NO COST to Members.
6. What do I need to know about switching?
Changing indemnity providers is simpler and cheaper than you may expect.
Just follow these few easy steps to switch to MDA National Insurance:
- Call us and we will provide you with a pricing indication and our application pack
- When you receive the application pack, complete the proposal form and return to us with all the required information. Please read the relevant Product Disclosure Statement and Policy Wording before deciding to buy or hold an MDA National Insurance product. Remember, incomplete applications will slow down the process!
- Once we have your proposal, we will assess your risk and if acceptable, send you an offer with a firm quote, you then have time to check that the offer suits your needs.
- If you are happy with the proposed cover and wish to proceed, sign and return the acceptance form. We will then send you confirmation of cover.
Don’t worry – we will help you ensure that you have continuity of cover and our Member Services Team is here to provide you with any information and assistance you may need.
7. What about retroactive cover?
Retroactive cover is important, however it is easy to arrange and much cheaper than you may expect.
With limited exceptions, a claims made policy responds to matters which occurred on or after the retroactive date and which are notified to your insurer while you have a current policy in place. If you first become aware of an incident after the policy has expired, you may not have cover for it, even if it occurred during the period of insurance.
Should you decide to change insurers, you can overcome this problem by purchasing retroactive cover from your new insurer. Retroactive cover can ensure that you are covered for any periods of claims made cover you have previously held in Australia.
For more information on retroactive cover, please contact our Member Services team on 1800 011 255.
8. So how do I join?
If you are ready for a change, just download our application form and send it through to us by post or fax, or speak to our Member Services team on 1800 011 255 and exercise your right to choose.
- Member Online Services - Login
- Register for Member Online Services
- More information about Member Online Services
- Member Services Helpline - 1800 011 255