Support in the moments that matter

We’re committed to providing our Members with unwavering care and support in the moments that matter, so you can keep on practising with confidence.

This is your MDA National – your trusted partner for support in the moments that matter

 

Our immediate priority will always be to provide timely, practical and expert medico-legal support and advice, when you need it most.  With MDA National, you have the support of industry-leading doctors, lawyers and medical defence experts who are just a click or phone call away. Our highly experienced team are always ready and available to provide you with personalised medico-legal advice on call in emergencies.

Providing protection to our Members for over 95 years, we remain committed to supporting you in the moments that matter, so you can keep on practising with confidence and providing outstanding patient care.

  • Expert medico-legal advice
  • Individualised support
  • Unwavering Member care
  • Comprehensive protection
  • Owned by Members, run for Members
  • By your side today, and into the future. 

 

To find out more about your policy cover please select your specialty below:

 

For all other specialties, select here.

 

Reasons why doctors in practice called us for medico-legal advice

 

34%

Advice/Ethical Dilemma

 medical records

10%

Medical Records

 doctor patient relationship

8%

Ending Doctor-Patient Relationship

 practice management

7%

Practice Management

 medico-legal report

7%

Medico-legal Report

 Employment issues

6%

Employment Issues

 

Read what our Members say about us!


What am I covered for?

Your extensive MDA National Professional Indemnity covers you for civil claims, employment disputes, representation at a coronial inquiry and a wide range of medico-legal matters.

The following table is a brief summary of covers and limits. The summary wording should not be relied on as a full description of cover. Please refer to the Policy Wording† for full details of terms and conditions:


Aggregate Limit of Cover for all Claims* 
  • Defend you in civil legal proceedings brought by patients
  • Defend you in civil proceedings alleging breach of privacy
  • Defend you in civil proceedings arising from telehealth
  • Defend you in civil proceedings when you have been acting as a good Samaritan
  • Defend you in some civil proceedings whilst practicing overseas for limited time
  • Defend you in civil proceedings arising from clinical trials
  • Defend you against allegations of defamation
  • Defend your practice in civil proceedings
  • Pay the legal costs of defending you in professional negligence and some civil liability matters
  • Pay civil damages you are ordered to pay in professional negligence and civil liability matters
  • Pay costs you are ordered to pay
 









$20 million
 We will...
Aggregate Sub-limits*
  • Represent you and pay legal costs when you are investigated by Ahpra or a professional services review committee
  • Represent you and pay legal costs in inquiries relating to provision of healthcare services
  • Represent you and pay legal costs when self-referring regarding a health impairment
  • Pay costs you are ordered to pay with respect to covers for investigations and inquiries
  • Represent you and pay legal costs in defending allegations of some sexual misconduct and criminal matters
 





$2 million


  • Represent you and pay legal costs in certain employment, credentialing and training disputes
$100,000 but for claims by you for unpaid remuneration we will not pay more than the amount reasonably sought by you
  • Represent you and pay legal costs when you are defamed
$100,000 (with Excess of $20,000)
  • Represent you and pay legal costs in obtaining AVOs on your behalf
$100,000
  • Defend you against imposed fines and penalties for breach of Privacy Act
  • Pay fines and penalties imposed on you for breach of Privacy Act
  • Pay notification costs for breach of Privacy Act
 


$250,000
  • Compensate you when you contract certain communicable diseases
$100,000 for Medical Practitioner

  • Pay you for loss of income in some circumstances
$20,000 (with a maximum of $2,000 per day for up to 10 days)
  • Cover you for loss of documents
$100,000

*Provided that the Maximum Limit of Indemnity is not exceeded.
†A copy of the Policy Wording is available at mdanational.com.au/Downloads. 

For more information please read our Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy Combined Financial Services Guide (FSG), Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Policy Wording and Supplementary FSG and PDS including Amendments to the Policy Wording from our Download Center.

 

Doctors in Private Practice

MDA National’s Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy is designed to provide you with peace of mind and extensive cover to protect you from medico-legal risks that may arise from your provision of healthcare services to patients:

  • 24-hour medico-legal advice– expertise and support when you need it most and no matter how small your query, with one case manager until your matter is resolved
  • MDA National App– an easier way to keep your membership and policy up-to-date, download your certificate of currency, access our latest articles, case studies, podcasts, webinars and connect directly with our medico-legal experts via LiveChat
  • Member Online Services– access your insurance documents at your convenience, update your details and explore Member-only resources and online education. 
  • Accredited education– gain CPD (continuing professional development) points from our extensive suite of education, which we believe is unrivalled in Australian medical indemnity today.
  • Experienced medico-legal advisers and case managers– with broad medico-legal experience, and healthcare and legal qualifications.
  • Member discounts on eligible nib Travel Insurance policies and medical education texts through Elsevier Health, CRC Press and Oxford University Press
  • Industry events– in addition to hosting our own events such as medico-legal round tables and CPD accredited education, we participate in supporting the profession across the country via sponsorship, and by providing education to the broader medical profession.
  • Doctors for Doctors Program– cconfidential peer support during medico-legal matters, exempt from mandatory reporting including complimentary and confidential professional support from an independent psychiatrist, should you need it during a medico-legal matter
  • Access case studies and medico-legal blog posts to keep you informed with relevant, pertinent and practical medico-legal advice in our MDA National Library or subscribe to receive them directly in your inbox
  • Corporate Social Responsibility– giving back to our community, including a Charity of Choice association with Beyondblue to help support doctors’ mental health. 
  • Local presence, national support – our Member Services team are available from 8:30am to 8pm AEST Monday to Friday, or contact one of your local Business Development Specialists

The cost of your medical indemnity insurance with MDA National will be determined depending on the type of speciality practice or procedures you undertake, the amount of gross annual billings and state in which you primarily practice.

Please refer to our Risk Category Guide  to see which category suits your practise best, contact our Member Services team on 1800 011 255 (8:30am to 8:00pm Monday to Friday AEST) or your local Business Development Specialist can assist you with any questions you may have or guide you through the quote or application process.

MDA National provides timely education to help our Members minimise their medico-legal risk and continually improve their communication and non-clinical skills. Our resources include CPD accredited e-learning and face-to-face education. To find out more about the range of topics covered, or to book an education session for your practice, association or college meeting, visit our Education Activities page.

Visit the MDA National library to see our full suite of articles, blog posts, webinars and podcasts. You will also find a series of Podcasts on Apple Music and Spotify.  Remember to subscribe to our medico-legal blog at the bottom of this page so you can stay up to date with short sharp blog posts relevant to the medical profession. 

MDA National's Practice Indemnity Policy is designed to complement a doctors' own Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy and covers the liabilities of the practice entity and its employees in relation to the healthcare services provided by the practice. This can include; reception staff, practice managers, allied health professionals, nurses, and vicarious liability arising from contractors or tenants.

Cover includes complimentary cyber risk cover, defence costs for employment disputes and 24/7 medico-legal advice for practice managers and reception staff. Additional discounts of up to 50% are available if the doctors are also members of MDA National for their individual professional indemnity insurance.
For more information on our Practice Indemnity Policy, please click here.

 It’s not easy managing the day to day of your own private consulting rooms with so many things to consider. As an MDA National member or Practice Indemnity Policy holder, our Support in Practice team are here to guide you through this process, so you can keep on focusing on providing outstanding patient care. 

Our Support in Practice service is designed to support and assist practices in identifying and assessing risks within their practice environment and implementing simple strategies to mitigate those risks.  A consultation is tailored to meet your medico-legal needs and can include specific areas of concern.

If you are continuing a public hospital appointment as a specialist, together with private specialist practice, our policy provides automatic ‘top-up’ cover outside of that provided by the state government or public hospital. This includes cover for:

  • fines and penalties for unintended breaches of the privacy act
  • legal costs for investigations (including Professional Services Review Committees, AHPRA, Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Medicare, Health Care Complaints Commissioner), inquiries, self-referrals to a health program, sexual misconduct and criminal conduct
  • pursuit and defence of defamation matters
  • communicable disease cover
  • legal costs for seeking an Apprehended Violence Order against another
  • legal costs for breaches of competition, consumer or fair-trading legislation
  • legal costs of employment and credentialing disputes
  • legal costs of medical college training disputes
  • loss of documents cover
  • loss of income cover for attending a hearing at court with respect to a civil liability claim against you

For more information please read our Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy Combined Financial Services Guide (FSG), Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Policy Wording and Supplementary FSG and PDS including Amendments to the Policy Wording from our Download Centre.

 
If you intend on undertaking additional fellowship training, specialist practice, or volunteer practise overseas, MDA National can provide an extension of cover in certain situations for additional peace of mind and protection overseas. For more information on our automatic inclusions and extensions to your cover please refer to our Risk Category Guide available from our Download Centre.

Premium Support Scheme Eligibility

MDA National Insurance has entered into an agreement with the Department of Health and Ageing and Medicare Australia to administer the the Premium Support Scheme (PSS) on the government's behalf.

The PSS is an Australian Government Scheme introduced to assist eligible doctors meet the costs of their medical indemnity insurance. For further information and to determine eligibility, click here.


Prefer to speak to us in person?

Medical indemnity can be complex. We are here to help, so please contact us for more detail on 1800 011 255 or email peaceofmind@mdanational.com.au.


Apply online today or contact your local Business Development Specialist to arrange a personalised meeting to discuss your medical indemnity needs.




MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd (MDA National Insurance) is a general insurer authorised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA). MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd holds an Australian Financial Services Licence Number 238073, issued by the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) and is authorised to advise and deal in general insurance products. Members of MDA National have access to insurance policies issued by MDA National Insurance.

For information on commercial and domestic insurance products, visit the website of AMA Financial Services (when clicking you will be leaving the MDA National website, MDA National does not accept any responsibility for the content displayed) or call them on 08 9273 3077.

 

Starting in Private Practice

When commencing in private practice as a specialist for the first time, you’ll be eligible to receive our Getting Started in Private Practice discounts for your first 4 years, providing you with a discounted premium whilst you focus on building up your private practice and patient base.

Our discounts commence at 80% in your first year. If you commence private practice as a specialist between January and 30 June, you’ll receive the 80% discount for that period, and again for the following full financial year. Subsequent discounts are 60% in your second full year, 40% in your third and finally 20% in your fourth year, before reaching a mature premium.

 

Starting in Private Practice

 

We understand that starting or joining a private practice can have various startup challenges and costs. To alleviate some of the financial burden associated with commencing in private practice MDA National have premium reductions in the first four years you undertake private practice*. Contact our Member Services team as soon as you obtain your Fellowship or decide to start practising in a private practice category to see if you are eligible. The premium in the first year of your private practice is an 80% reduction on the mature premium payable. The subsequent years involve incremental increases until the mature rate is reached, helping members transition into full premium payments gradually.

*Subject to Underwriting approval and certain eligibility criteria.

  • 24-hour medico-legal advice– expertise and support when you need it most.
  • Member Online Services– access your insurance documents at your convenience, update your details, access Member-only resources and online education. 
  • Practice Indemnity Policy– recommended in addition to your own professional indemnity policy, to protect your practice entity and practice staff. 
  • Accredited education– gain CPD (continuing professional development) points from our extensive suite of education, which we believe is unrivalled in Australian medical indemnity today.
  • Support in Practice– personalised services to assist you in managing your professional risk.
  • Starting In Private Practice– resources and guidance on starting in private practice, from billings and fees to advertising guidelines and the management of patient records.
  • Part of your profession– doctors are an integral part of MDA National with key roles on our Mutual Board, our group and management committees, and on staff. Please contact us if you are interested in contributing to MDA National.
  • Experienced medico-legal advisers and case managers – with broad medico-legal experience, and healthcare and legal qualifications.
  • Industry events– in addition to hosting our own events, we participate in industry events across the country via sponsorship, and by providing education to the medical profession.
  • Doctors for Doctors Program– confidential peer support during medico-legal matters, exempt from mandatory reporting.
  • Professional Support Service– complimentary and confidential professional support from an independent psychiatrist, should you need it during a medico-legal matter. 
  • Defence Update– periodical publication and blog to keep you up-to-date with relevant practical medico-legal advice and case studies. 
  • Specialty Updates– supplements for key specialties to inform you of emerging risks and specialty specific medico-legal matters.
  • Financial stability– responsible stewardship of Members’ funds. We manage all elements of a strong insurance business and invest in Member value by delivering quality support services. 
  • Up to 20% off medical publications, reference and text books.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility– giving back to our community, including a Charity of Choice association with Beyondblue to help support doctors’ mental health. 
  • Local presence, national support with offices in NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA.

MDA National’s biannual Member publication, Defence Update, contains the latest medico-legal updates, articles and case studies based on our industry insights and experience.

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Hear what our Members have to say about the support and unwavering care they have received from MDA National