Malpractice coverage for teleradiology work
The two kinds of malpractice policy, what tail coverage is, and what to check when the studies you read come from other states.
Last reviewed November 2026.
Claims-made and occurrence policies
A claims-made policy covers a claim only if the claim is filed while the policy is in force. An occurrence policy covers an event that happened while the policy was in force, whenever the claim is filed. The difference matters most on the day a policy ends.
Tail and nose coverage
When a claims-made policy ends, tail coverage extends the time in which a claim can be reported. It is a real cost: an expert cited by the American Medical Association puts it at roughly twice the final year's premium. A later employer sometimes covers your earlier work instead, which is called nose coverage.
Who buys it
The American Medical Association notes that independent contractors have to buy their own coverage, and that it should cover every location where they work. The American College of Radiology's white paper on teleradiology says the contract should address malpractice coverage. If you are employed, ask what the employer's policy covers and what happens to it when you leave.
Coverage where the patients are
The American College of Radiology's white paper recommends coverage in both the state the images come from and the state where you read them, and suggests asking your carrier how your policy handles each.
Some states add rules of their own. Pennsylvania sets coverage requirements by how much of a physician's practice is in the state, and Kansas makes coverage through its fund a condition of an active Kansas license. Indiana, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wisconsin also run patient compensation funds. Whether and how a state's rule reaches a radiologist reading from somewhere else is a question for your carrier and that state.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Is the policy claims-made or occurrence, and what are its limits?
- Which states does it cover, and does that include every state whose studies you will read?
- If it is claims-made, who pays for tail coverage when the work ends?
- Does it cover reading from each location you work from?
- Are you named on the group's policy, or do you carry your own?
Sources
- American Medical Association, Medical liability insurance: what final-year residents should know (June 2026)
- American Medical Association, Physician contracting: job duties and liability (February 2025)
- American College of Radiology, ACR White Paper on Teleradiology Practice (2013)
- Pennsylvania Insurance Department, About Mcare (December 2025)
- Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund, Fund coverage
- Indiana Department of Insurance, Patient's Compensation Fund: frequently asked questions
- Louisiana Patient's Compensation Fund, Coverage: frequently asked questions
- Nebraska Department of Insurance, Property and casualty insurers (Excess Liability Fund)
- New Mexico Legislature, Medical malpractice insurance and the Patient's Compensation Fund (November 2025)
- Wisconsin Legislature, Wis. Stat. 655.002
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules and figures change; the sources above are the place to check them.