When practitioners are covered
The ECS only covers doctors and allied health professionals when they are eligible.
What ECS covers
Types of costs covered
The ECS covers:
- damages amounts to patients
- legal costs
- administrative costs related to managing the claim
- costs incurred by the medical indemnity insurer in managing an incident, which may or may not become a claim.
Amount covered
The ECS only covers costs once they exceed the practitioner’s indemnity cover limit.
Example of amount covered
A practitioner has indemnity cover of up to $20 million.
A patient makes a malpractice claim against the practitioner. The damages amount and other claim costs add up to $100 million.
The insurer covers the first $20 million in claim costs. The ECS covers the remaining $80 million.
What ECS does not cover
The ECS does not provide cover if the claim costs are below or equal to the eligible practitioner’s cover limit. For these claims, the indemnity insurer may be able to access the High Cost Claims Scheme.