Haodf Online Launches Physician Professional Liability Insurance for Its Smart Internet Hospital

Recently, Haodf Online’s Smart Internet Hospital quietly launched a professional liability insurance plan for physicians. VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) has learned that the policy is underwritten by Tian’an Property Insurance. All physicians who apply to practice online at the Smart Internet Hospital and pass certification will automatically be covered by this insurance purchased on their behalf by the hospital, with a maximum coverage limit of RMB 200,000 per incident.

# Individual Professional Liability Insurance for PhysiciansAs the name suggests, Individual Professional Liability Insurance for Physicians refers to an insurance policy under which an insurer assumes the civil liability for compensation when a licensed physician is alleged to have engaged in misconduct during the course of diagnosis, treatment, and nursing care. Traditional medical liability insurance typically covers medical institutions as the insured parties. In contrast, Haodaifu’s medical liability insurance is distinct in that it names individual physicians as the insured. In the event of medical disputes or incidents, the insurer can intervene to handle the claims, thereby allowing physicians to practice with greater peace of mind.

Frequent doctor-patient disputes in China reflect the current lack of practice risk management in specialized industries. The doctor-patient relationship has become a stubborn obstacle hindering the development of China's medical service industry. The "White Paper on the Practice Status of Chinese Physicians," released by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, shows that 59.79% of medical personnel have experienced verbal violence, 13.07% have suffered physical harm, and only 27.14% have not encountered any violent incidents. Furthermore, 73.33% of doctors have called for strengthened protection of physicians' rights and interests during the amendment of the "Law on Licensed Physicians."

According to incomplete statistics, only more than 30,000 medical institutions in China have participated in medical liability insurance, with a coverage rate of less than 10%. In some developed countries, the law mandates that professionals in specialized service industries must purchase professional liability insurance. Particularly in the healthcare sector, medical liability insurance can be regarded as a fundamental safeguard for physicians’ practice. For instance, in the United States, physicians are categorized into different classes based on their specialties and risk probabilities, with insurance premiums determined accordingly. In the United Kingdom, in addition to the government purchasing medical liability insurance for doctors, comprehensive medical legal services are also provided.

China has not been inactive in promoting individual physician practice liability insurance. In 2014, at the National Insurance Regulatory Work Conference, Xiang Junbo, then Chairman of the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC), repeatedly emphasized the need to advance compulsory medical malpractice liability insurance. Data presented at the 2015 Seminar on the Development of Medical Liability Insurance showed that in 2014, China’s medical liability insurance generated premium income of RMB 1.88 billion, providing risk coverage of RMB 33.8 billion for medical institutions at all levels. Settled claims amounted to RMB 1.14 billion, while outstanding claims totaled RMB 870 million. Clearly, with a premium volume of less than RMB 2 billion, medical liability insurance provided over RMB 30 billion in risk coverage, becoming a key force in dispersing risks for physicians and medical institutions.

Currently, the Haodf Online platform hosts over 100,000 expert physicians. By providing medical malpractice insurance, Haodf Online alleviates these doctors’ professional liabilities and concerns. This not only helps stabilize physicians’ mindset and optimize their clinical performance during treatment, but also enables patients to achieve better therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, it plays a positive role in reducing doctor-patient disputes and improving doctor-patient relationships.