What is ROCS
ROCS helps doctors in private practice who have stopped working. It provides cover for incidents that:
- occurred while they were working
- have not yet been notified to insurers.
ROCS is one of the Australian Government’s medical and midwife indemnity insurance schemes.
Services Australia administers the ROCS for the government.
Why is it important
Previously, doctors faced significant costs for run-off cover. ROCS addresses this issue by providing secure and free run-off insurance.
Who is it for
ROCS is for doctors who have stopped paid private practice. See the full eligibility criteria.
What does it cover
ROCS cover is based on a doctor’s last cover. This usually means the cover they had before they stopped private practice.
Find out more about coverage under ROCS.
How it works
When doctors stop working and they are eligible for ROCS, their current or last medical indemnity insurer must:
- issue a notice of ROCS cover to the doctor
- manage and pay for any eligible claims.
The insurer can apply for a ROCS payment as reimbursement for claim costs.
Go to the Services Australia website to find out more about ROCS for insurers, including how to apply for payment.
Payments
The government charges a levy – the ROCS support payment – on medical indemnity premiums. This covers the ongoing cost of ROCS.
Find out more about payments for ROCS.
Reporting requirements
Medical indemnity legislation requires annual reporting on ROCS.
Legislation
The government set up ROCS under the Medical Indemnity (Run-off Cover Support Payment) Act 2004. Find out about the legislation that supports indemnity schemes.