The AMA, AMA NSW and Australia's medical defence organisations discussed medical indemnity insurance last week.
Last week, the AMA and AMA NSW met with Australia's medical defence organisations (MDOs) to discuss issues with medical indemnity insurance.
Hosted by AMA NSW in collaboration with the AMA, the meeting brought together leaders from Avant, MDA, MIPS, MIGA and TEGO to establish a constructive dialogue and develop a collaborative approach to protecting the medical profession.
The rising costs of indemnity insurance is a significant and growing issue of concern for AMA members, with indemnity insurance and increasing premiums the topic of a robust debate at the AMA's recent national conference on the Gold Coast. Changes to scope of practice and how healthcare is delivered were also raised as having future implications for the medical indemnity sector.
The MDOs were alert to the concerns of members, with most being member-based mutual organisations. They also shared broad insights on trends in the global insurance market.
There was strong recognition of the need to maintain open lines of communication and collaborate further with the AMA on systemic policy issues impacting on the sector, while respecting the competitive nature of the industry and the constraints imposed by competition law.