Home health care insurance

Caregiver insurance

The cure for the common lawsuit

Take two pills and call me in the morning. Or was it three?

See, that's the thing. When home health aides make a simple mistake, the results can be catastrophic. Forget to remind someone to take their meds, miss a checklist item or delay an in-home visit and it’s not just the patient who could be harmed. It’s a mistake that could threaten your livelihood.

As partners of Eternity Sitters and More LLC, we recommend professional liability insurance to all home health aides, providers and carers. Because work-related errors are unavoidable. Occasionally, even the best, most qualified caregivers make mistakes.

That doesn't mean they’re incapable of doing their jobs. It just means they're human.

• Why do caregivers need professional liability insurance?

  Defending yourself from a claim you made a mistake– even if you didn’t – can be costly. The stress can be enough to make you physically ill.

  The remedy? A professional liability insurance policy drawn up before a minor mistake becomes a major headache.

  Also known as errors and omissions insurance – E&O for short – it’s a warm blanket of protection when you need it most.

• What does your caregiver liability insurance cover?

  In detail:

  • Errors and omissions – whether you made a mistake, or not
  • Claims made against you – and compensation, if you’re liable
  • Claims made against you for past work
  • Worldwide claims (as long as they’re filed in the United States, a U.S. territory or Canada)
  • Legal costs – you’ll even get a lawyer to defend you, if you need one

• What other kinds of insurance do home care professionals need?

  If you visit clients in their homes you want general liability insurance. It protects you from claims for damage to people and their property. If a client injures themselves falling over your bag, or you spill a full cup of coffee over their priceless carpet, your coverage can pay for medical bills and your legal defense. Without it, you’ll have to.

  But general liability insurance won’t cover you for loss or damage to your own property while you’re out and about visiting clients. You need business personal property insurance for that. It also protects your things in the office – from furniture and IT stuff, to your potted plants. Think you can do without bpp? Take a moment to add up what it all cost you. More than you thought, huh?

  Do you store your client’s data electronically? Do you use email? Do you have a website? If the answer’s yes, you should think about getting cyber liability insurance. Because it’s not the data breach that can close down your business, it’s the cost of recovering from one. Cyber insurance takes care of these costs for you. It keeps your business – and your reputation – intact.

  And if you hire employees, you’ll need workers’ compensation insurance It can cover your business if an employee sues for damages because they’ve been injured or become unwell as a result of working for you. In many states it’s a requirement. Better check your state’s laws before you decide to skip this one.

  Every home health care business is different. Which means your insurance needs are, too. Because small business insurance is our business, we get this.

  We’ll help you get the right home care insurance coverage – in minutes.