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With seven physicians on our 12-member Board of Governors—including two local San Diego physicians—we possess unique insight into what SDCMS members need from their insurance company.
Our medical liability program offers SDCMS members a unique combination of coverage features, aggressive claims handling, industry-leading patient safety programs, and tangible economic benefits.
Here are answers to common questions about our SDCMS program:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I join The Doctors Company’s SDCMS program, can I get a discount on my premium?
A: Yes. Subject to underwriting approval, The Doctors Company is offering a 5 percent premium discount for eligible SDCMS members.
Q: What are the program benefits?
A: Our SDCMS program benefits include a discount for eligible members, a consent-to-settle provision, free tail coverage at any age, prior acts coverage, and free continuing medical education programs. SDCMS members insured with The Doctors Company are also eligible to participate in the Tribute® Plan, a one-of-a-kind financial career award that honors physicians for their loyalty to The Doctors Company and for their dedication to practicing good medicine.
Q: If I am already a member of The Doctors Company, can I switch to the SDCMS program?
A: Yes. SDCMS members who are already insured with The Doctors Company can transfer to our SDCMS program by notifying us in writing. Members who transfer will receive all of our SDCMS program benefits.
Q: Why does SDCMS’s endorsement of The Doctors Company matter to me?
A: The Doctors Company is the only carrier able to offer physicians local knowledge that is backed by broad national experience. This unique national viewpoint allows us to identify trends in all specialties in every region of the country. We draw on this knowledge to create industry-leading patient safety and risk management strategies, tools, and programs that help our physicians reduce risk and enhance patient safety.
Q: How will SDCMS and The Doctors Company work together?
A: Our collaborative relationship with SDCMS provides an invaluable forum for identifying and resolving critical issues. The SDCMS Medical Review and Advisory Committee meets with our senior executives regularly, and committee members participate in panel discussions of claims issues.
Q: How do I know that The Doctors Company understands the issues of California physicians?
A: The Doctors Company was founded in 1976 as a result of California’s medical malpractice crisis. We were instrumental in shaping the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), California’s landmark legislation that has become the national model for effective and durable tort reform. For more than 30 years, we have worked tirelessly to safeguard MICRA and to reform the medical-legal system.
With 19,000 California physicians, including more than 2,500 in San Diego County, we are the largest medical malpractice insurer in the state. Seven of our 12 board members are physicians, including two local San Diego physicians. The Doctors Company’s headquarters is located in Napa, California
Q: Is The Doctors Company financially secure?
A: With The Doctors Company, you gain the assurance of having a company with $2.8 billion in assets on your side. Our conservative fiscal approach and conscientious investment strategies have earned us financial strength ratings of A (Strong) by Fitch Ratings and A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. We have also been named to the 2009 Ward’s 50 top performing property-casualty companies in the insurance industry. So you can count on us to have the power and financial foundation to protect your practice at anytime, anywhere.
Q: What is The Doctors Company’s claims defense record?
A: For more than 30 years, we have built our reputation on providing the most aggressive claims defense in the industry. In fact, our defense is so effective that over 82 percent of claims filed against our physicians are closed with no payment to the plaintiff. Of the few claims that go to trial, over 87 percent result in victory for our physicians.
You can be sure that if a claim is leveled against you, our expert defense team will be with you each step of the way, marshaling every resource necessary to resolve it.
Q: Is The Doctors Company endorsed or sponsored by other medical associations?
A: The nation’s leading medical organizations recognize our efforts in supporting doctors and have selected us as their professional liability insurance carrier. These organizations, which represent over 250,000 physicians and surgeons nationwide, include the following:
- American College of Physicians
- American College of Surgeons
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons®
- American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Inc.
- California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
- California Society of Pathologists
- Denver Medical Society
- Idaho Academy of Family Physicians
- Los Angeles County Medical Association
- Montana Medical Association
- Ohio State Medical Association
- Santa Barbara County Medical Society
- University HealthSystem Consortium
- Ventura County Medical Association
- Wyoming Medical Society
Q: If I decide to leave The Doctors Company’s SDCMS program, can I get tail coverage?
A: Yes. Any SDCMS member who elects to terminate his or her policy with The Doctors Company will be offered tail coverage. We will offer tail coverage at a premium consistent with our underwriting guidelines and in compliance with California regulatory filings.
The Doctors Company also offers free tail coverage for physicians on full retirement who have been insured for five continuous years or those who die or suffer permanent and total disability.
Discover the advantages of our SDCMS program
To learn more about our program for SDCMS members, call us at (800) 352-0320 or e-mail us at TDCSales@thedoctors.com.
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