Cover and benefits

Benefits of MIPS Membership include:

• Comprehensive indemnity insurance cover for claims (limit $20 million) under the MIPS Indemnity Insurance Policy
• 24 hr Clinico-Legal Advice and Support from independent and experienced expert healthcare professionals 
• Additional discretionary assistance for non-healthcare matters arising from your clinical activities that may not otherwise be covered by insurance under the MIPS Protections 
• Accredited Professional Development including webinars, workshops, on-demand education and resources
• Indemnity for approved healthcare placements outside of Australia 
• Access to My Wellness website where you can obtain nutritional, physical and mental health programs and also perform an online health check
• Other benefits including financial literacy material and access to discounted private health insurance.

The Indemnity Insurance Policy provides cover for claims arising from any acts, errors, breaches and omissions in your provision of healthcare services. It provides protections for legal claims, such as when you are sued and require legal representation to defend yourself and/or are required to pay compensation. It also provides cover for investigations, proceedings and the legal costs of defence in these matters.

For a list of covers refer to our summary.

Cover under the Indemnity Insurance Policy meets the professional indemnity requirements of AHPRA for healthcare practitioners.

Full terms, conditions and exclusions of the Indemnity Policy are outlined in the Member handbook. 

The MIPS Indemnity Insurance Policy can only respond to matters relating to the provision of health care defined as:

• any care, treatment, advice, service or goods provided for the physical or mental health of a person;
• any report or opinion provided by You (and any examination for the purpose of preparing such report), other than for the purposes of treatment, which has been requested by a third party such as a lawyer, insurer or statutory body; and
• Telehealth;

for which you hold appropriate AHPRA registration, qualifications, training and experience.

The limit of indemnity under the MIPS Indemnity Insurance Policy for each claim and in the aggregate of claims notified during any one insurance year is $20 million for each member.

For those members who require an automatic reinstatement to comply with AHPRA indemnity requirements of registration, the insurance cover provided will be shown on your Member Benefit Statement as a $10 million limit plus an automatic reinstatement of that amount. This means that if during the policy period the $10 million cover is exhausted that the same amount of cover will be automatically reinstated so that the total cover available is $20 million.  

Where a claim is accepted, the cost for legal defence as well as representation during an investigation, damages or other civil liabilities are covered under the Indemnity Insurance Policy.

There are no pre-set cover sub limits for core indemnity. There is a cover limit of $25,000 for any claim if diagnosed with a communicable disease (HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C).

No standard excess applies under the Indemnity Insurance Policy. If a non-standard excess is applied, you will be informed of this prior to receiving your invitation to apply or renewal of membership.

MIPS Protections is unique to MIPS and is an added discretionary cover that may provide assistance for non-healthcare risks arising from your clinical activities that may not otherwise be covered by insurance arrangements. This additional benefit is provided at no additional cost. 

Examples of the types of cover we may provide includes assistance, including payment of defence costs, for disputes that arise in connection with your employment, professional college or association and regulator issues. 

For further information and examples of when cover may apply refer to the Member Handbook.

Membership benefits include accredited education and resources to help prevent or mitigate loss, as well as assist you with meeting ongoing CPD requirements. Visit the risk education page on our website to find out full details about upcoming events and workshops or how to access and complete our on-demand education and resources. 

Cover up to $25,000 is provided under the MIPS Indemnity Insurance Policy if you are diagnosed with:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),
• Hepatitis B, and / or Hepatitis C
• and you either:
• retire due to disability: or
• significantly revise your practice or significantly train or re-train in order to enable you to continue to practise healthcare.

See the Indemnity Policy for full terms, conditions and exclusions.

MIPS Membership benefits (including insurance cover) extend to technology based health services you undertake, provided you (and the healthcare services) continue to meet the following guidelines:

• you meet the telehealth definition (as defined in clause 14.21 in the Indemnity Insurance Policy)
• your practice is in accordance with AHPRA and specialist colleges requirements, guidelines and advice. See AHPRA Telehealth frequently asked questions
• you hold current AHPRA healthcare practitioner registration
• you have appropriate training, experience and qualifications for the healthcare activities undertaken by you
• you have an appropriate MIPS membership classification for the healthcare activities undertaken by you.

For further information refer Telehealth FAQ's. 

MIPS provides cover and assistance to members undertaking medical repatriation in Australia and may extend to repatriation of patients to Australia.

For a list of conditions and restrictions refer to the Member Handbook.

If you are supervising other practitioners (including students, nurses and trainees) you are required to have the recognised qualifications, training and experience for the services you supervise as well as maintain an appropriate level of indemnity cover for those services.

Appropriate supervision arrangements must be in place and may include both direct supervision and indirect supervision where there continues to be adequate access to communication, oversight, interaction, direction and support after initial instruction has been provided.

The Indemnity Insurance Policy provides cover for practice staff errors and omissions, related to the member's provision of healthcare.

Practice staff are persons employed directly or indirectly by you to the extent that they assist you to provide healthcare to your patients, for example practice managers, receptionists and assistants. Practice staff excludes any person who is, or is required to be, registered with AHPRA who are required to hold their own indemnity insurance for example nurses and other allied health professionals.

MIPS membership benefits (including insurance cover) extend to clinical trial participation, subject to meeting certain criteria.

For further information refer to the Member Handbook.

Gratuitous services are services where you receive no remuneration and patients (or others) are not charged for your involvement for the services you undertake. This may include services such as prescribing and writing referrals and volunteer services. 

Cover may be extended to gratuitous services outside of Australia (subject to individual application and approval) as well as within Australia.

For further information refer to the Member Handbook.

All members, including non-practising members, receive cover and benefits for Good Samaritan Acts worldwide (excluding the USA or where USA law applies).

Good Samaritan Acts are where you provide healthcare voluntarily, without remuneration, in relation to unexpected events and where you wouldn’t normally be expected to be available to provide healthcare.

Cover applies for claims made against the individual MIPS member under the terms and conditions of the Indemnity Insurance Policy regardless of how the patient is billed for the healthcare services, including where patients are billed under a company name.

Documentation confirming cover can only be issued in the name of the individual MIPS member.

The indemnity policy coverage does not extend to business entities or companies. To find out more about cover for practice entities details here.

Medical indemnity insurance in Australia is provided on a claims-made basis.

This means cover can only be provided for claims made and notified to the insurer during the policy period (including any retroactive cover period), rather than when the incident occurred.

For more information see the Member Handbook.

The Indemnity Insurance Policy provides cover for claims, investigations or proceedings that arise out of prescribing a product listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

There is no cover for any claim, investigation or proceeding arising out of the importation, manufacture, distribution or sale of a product unless you are a dental practitioner and the product is listed on the ARTG or is a material not required to be registered on the ARTG.

For terms and conditions refer to the Indemnity Insurance Policy .

The Indemnity Insurance Policy does not provide cover for non-clinical activities that do not meet the definition of healthcare.

If you undertake these activities, and you are not required to hold indemnity for these services, you may receive cover and assistance under MIPS Protections which is additional discretionary cover we provide for non-medical indemnity matters related to a member’s professional activities not otherwise covered by insurance.

The Indemnity Insurance Policy does not cover all events and circumstances or all types of claims arising from your provision of healthcare. Refer to the Indemnity Insurance Policy for comprehensive details of exclusions that apply.

Benefits of MIPS membership do not extend to provide cover for Public Liability. We suggest that you contact a general broker for this requirement. 

We can assist with investigations and defence costs to defend investigations or complaints about inappropriate claims through the Medicare Benefits Schedule.

Benefits of membership do not cover Medicare amounts to be repaid or any claims, investigations or proceeding alleging or arising out of dishonesty or fraud.