This is a guest blog post written by Brenna Youngs, Assistant Vice President of Association Management for Nurses Service Organization (NSO)
If you’re a nurse considering midwifery, already practicing as a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) or CM (Certified Midwife), or simply trying to better understand how to protect your license and future career, this is an important conversation.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that a lot of nurses assume, understandably, that employer coverage is enough. But when it comes to professional liability, license defense, and protecting your own interests, there are often gaps people don’t realize exist until they’re in a really stressful situation. That’s why I’m excited to bring in someone with deep expertise in this area.
In this Q&A style guest blog post, Brenna Youngs from Nurses Service Organization (NSO) breaks down some of the most common misconceptions midwives have about malpractice coverage, why individual coverage matters even if you’re employed, and what CNMs and CMs should know before they ever see their first patient. If this isn’t something you’ve thought much about yet, this is a great place to start.
Table of Contents
Meet Brenna Youngs
Q: Can you tell us a little about your background and what drew you to focusing on professional liability and risk management for midwives and advanced practice nurses?
I’m an Assistant Vice President of Association Management for Nurses Service Organization (NSO), and Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) within the Healthcare Division of Aon Affinity Insurance Services. I have more than 24 years of experience in the field, and I began my career as a professional liability Insurance Agent serving individual providers, businesses and educational institutions.
In my current role, I lead the NSO and HPSO account management team, manage Advanced Practice Provider (APP) programs, and serve as the primary contact for more than 35 professional associations. My goal is to maintain strong client and broker relationships, educate stakeholders on risk management and liability exposures, and to collaborate with underwriting, marketing and competitive analysis teams to stay ahead of emerging trends impacting healthcare professionals.
Why midwives need malpractice coverage
Q: Many midwives are surprised to learn that even excellent clinical care can still result in a claim or board investigation. From your experience, what are the top reasons midwives end up needing license defense or malpractice coverage?
It’s important for midwives to understand that malpractice coverage provided by their employer may be limited. Typically, coverage provided by an employer, such as a hospital, will not include License Defense and may have shared limits, meaning that the policy extends to multiple healthcare providers. Due to these reasons, midwives should consider purchasing individual professional liability insurance, which can help cover costs associated with legal representation, claim investigation and can provide guidance through a board investigation or malpractice lawsuit. Also, midwives should note that employer-provided coverage likely will not provide protection for any part-time work performed on the side.
Additionally, an individual professional liability policy can help protect a CM or CNM’s personal assets. If a judgment is unsatisfied (unpaid) in a court case, a plaintiff may pursue personal assets. Even if a CM or CNM does not have significant personal assets, an unsatisfied judgment could be considered by a licensing board and may affect their reputation or career.
What NSO’s midwife policy covers
Q: Walk us through what this new NSO/CNA midwife policy actually covers, especially the parts that go beyond what a typical hospital or employer policy might provide.
The NSO midwife professional liability policy offers coverage for CMs and CNMs for prenatal, postnatal and gynecological services in hospital or clinical environments, as well as labor and delivery services in hospital settings. NSO’s policy is designed to be a standalone policy solution or complement employer-provided insurance, which may not fully protect individual practitioners or include license defense coverage. The policy provides professional liability coverage up to $1 million per claim and $3 million in the annual aggregate for covered claims arising from a medical incident.
In addition to malpractice protection, the policy includes license defense coverage to help cover legal costs if a complaint is filed with a state licensing board. Because it is an individual policy, it is designed to protect the CM or CNM directly and can help fill potential gaps in employer-provided coverage.
Why individual coverage matters
Q: One thing I hear from nurses all the time is, “My employer covers me, so I’m fine.” Why is having your own individual professional liability policy so important for a CM or CNM, even if they’re employed by a hospital or birth center?
Professional liability insurance helps protect CMs and CNMs against allegations related to their care. While an employer may offer coverage, those policies are designed to protect the organization and may not cover every situation.
Additionally, many employer policies do not include license protection coverage, which means a CM or CNM may not have legal support if their professional license is challenged or investigated. Individual professional liability insurance can help provide that additional layer of protection.
Understanding license defense coverage
Q: License defense coverage is something a lot of nurses don’t realize they might need until it’s too late. Can you explain what that looks like in a midwifery context and why it’s particularly valuable for this specialty?
A license protection incidentinvolves an inquiry by the licensing board arising from a complaint. An allegation can be directly related to responsibilities and professional services, and/or they may be of a nonclinical nature (i.e., substance abuse or unprofessional conduct). When a complaint is made to the state board, CMs and CNMs must be equipped with the resources to adequately defend themselves. Being unprepared may represent the difference between retaining or losing their license.
3 questions to ask before buying a policy
Q: For a new graduate CNM or a seasoned midwife who’s been relying only on employer coverage, what three key questions should they ask when shopping for their own malpractice insurance?
Policies can vary from insurance provider to provider. We tell CMs and CNMs to consider a few questions when they’re shopping for coverage or comparing to their employer provided coverage:
- What are the policy’s features and how do they compare to their individual needs? Are there gaps that an individual policy would fill that my employer provided coverage does not offer?
- What is the insurance carrier’s rating?
- Does the provider have strong customer reviews?
Common midwife insurance myths
Q: What are the most common misconceptions midwives have about professional liability insurance, and how do those misconceptions potentially put their license or personal assets at risk?
We’ve talked about one of the biggest misconceptions a few times already – that a CM or CNM will get all the coverage they need from an employer’s policy. We can’t emphasize enough how important it is to secure individual coverage to help provide protection in the event of a malpractice claim or license defense matter. Another misconception is that having malpractice insurance makes them more likely to be sued. In reality, plaintiffs name multiple providers involved in a patient’s care regardless of whether those providers carry their own insurance.
These misconceptions can leave CMs and CNMs exposed to legal and financial risks. Taking NSO’s Misconceptions Quiz can help set the record straight.
Protecting your license from day one
Q: For RNs who are considering midwifery school or who are early in their CNM/CM career, what’s the one piece of advice you wish every single one of them knew about protecting their license and their future before they even see their first patient?
New CMs and CNMs should understand that protecting their license and career starts before they ever see their first patient. Safeguarding a future career is about more than test prep, practicums and pop quizzes, it’s about having an adequate policy in place with an experienced company that understands your profession.
Brenna Youngs is Assistant Vice President of Association Management for Nurses Service Organization (NSO), and Healthcare Providers Service Organization (HPSO) within the Healthcare Division of Aon Affinity Insurance Services. With more than 24 years of experience in the field, she began her career as a professional liability Insurance Agent serving individual providers, businesses and educational institutions.
In her current role, Brenna leads the NSO and HPSO account management team, manages Advanced Practice Provider (APP) programs, and serves as the primary contact for more than 35 professional associations. She maintains strong client and broker relationships, educates stakeholders on risk management and liability exposures, and collaborates with underwriting, marketing and competitive analysis teams to stay ahead of emerging trends impacting healthcare professionals.
Wish you felt more confident making decisions on the floor?
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