Radiologists aren’t the only medical professionals that allow patients to see what’s going on inside their bodies. Sonographers can do the same too. But instead of X-rays, they use ultrasound technology. Without sonographers, other physical therapists would find it hard to diagnose conditions in the heart, lungs, and other organs.Â
As a sonographer, you must remain vigilant to protect your business from liabilities and other risks. This article will help explain the various insurance policies you need to give yourself peace of mind when the unexpected happens.
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $100,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Can be included | No |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Can be included | Can be included |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Can be included | Can be included |
General liability insurance protects sonographers from third-party liability claims of property damage and bodily injury. Examples of when this sonographer liability insurance coverage can apply include:
While a patient waits for an ultrasound exam, they slip and fall on your exam floor.
A patient sues your business for slandering them
If you want to get additional protection for your sonographer practice, consider these add-ons:
Employment practices–Helps protect your business if an employee files a suit alleging workplace harassment, discrimination, or wrongful termination
Tools and equipment–Adds protection to cover the costs of replacing your damaged or stolen equipment
Your sonographer general liability insurance will have a typical limit of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate.Â
General liability policies will commonly be occurrence-based policies. This means that you can file a claim anytime so long as the covered peril happened during the policy period.Â
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | The Hartford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included | No |
| HIPAA coverage included? | No | No | No | No | No |
| Sexual misconduct coverage included? | No | No | No | No | Can be included |
| License defense coverage included? | No | No | No | No | Can be included |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 | $500 |
Sonographer malpractice insurance is a policy that protects your business from professional mistakes you or employees make that cause injury. Examples of this coverage include:
A patient files a lawsuit against you to seek damages for medical negligence
You make a mistake in a diagnosis that causes a condition to get worse
You upgrade the malpractice insurance for ultrasound techs through these endorsements:
Excess liability–Extends your malpractice insurance coverage limits so you can still get covered even when your policy has run out of coverage for the term
Extended reporting for sonographers–This allows you to get extra time to file a claim and have it still covered by your malpractice insurance
The National Institutes for Health estimate that most policies offer a coverage range between $100,000-$300,000 per claim and $1 million to $3 million in aggregate.
Your ultrasound malpractice insurance premiums will be determined by factors like your geographic location, claims history, and risk estimate. Insurers set rates by looking at trends, states, and specialties. Each medical specialty stands on its own for cost, and premiums can be affected by how long it takes for claims to be settled.
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| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | The Hartford | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $340,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $35,000 | $25,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $35,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $35,000 | $15,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Included |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/$10,000 | Excluded | Included |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Excluded | Included |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded | Included |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Excluded | Included |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Excluded | Included |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded |
A sonographer insurance policy with commercial property coverage protects your building and any property contained. Example coverages include:
Someone accidentally starts a fire in your office, and you need to pay to get repairs
A person breaks into your medical office and steals some expensive sonographer equipment
Flood insurance–Protects your business against flood waters and other covered events. Many commercial property policies will exclude flood-related causes, so this can be a helpful add-on
Earthquake insurance–A valuable pickup for sonographers located in an area with a high risk of earthquake damage
Sonographers will find their commercial property insurance coverage limit to around $60,000.
While there are many perils, the most common involve burglary, fire, window damage, roof damage, and fire damage.Â
