Insurance for Home Healthcare

Home healthcare agencies provide services such as general care and assistance at home, equipment rental, visiting doctors and nurses as well as physical, occupational or pulmonary therapists for clients with medical conditions who wish to remain in their homes or cannot leave their homes for treatment and care.

Home Healthcare agencies may range in scope from general assistance with daily living to highly skilled nursing services.

Recommended Insurance Programs for Home Health Agencies

Home health and assisted living facilities typically require specialized coverages for both general liability insurance and professional liability. They often have an auto risk with hired and non-owned insurance as well as employee dishonesty exposures.

Coverages Recommended for Home Healthcare:

✓ General Liability Insurance
✓ Professional Liability Insurance
✓ Business Personal Property
✓ Hired and Non-Owned Auto
✓ Workers Compensation Insurance
✓ Commercial Crime/Employee Dishonesty

Other coverages to consider for Home Healthcare:
Business Personal Property, Employee Dishonesty, Accounts Receivable, Computers, Physician and Surgeons Floater, Valuable Papers and Records, Employee Benefits, Umbrella, Building, Earthquake, Flood, Computer Fraud, Forgery, Cyber Liability (Data Breach) and Employment Practices Liability Insurance.

Common Risks and Needs Associated with Home Healthcare

General liability is very limited at the office because it is generally restricted to employees only. The off-premises exposure is extensive as workers will be in patients’ homes. Procedures and policies must be in place for all employees who deal with patients, such as pre-employment background checks conducted prior to hiring. A monitoring system must be in place to confirm that policies are being followed and visits are being made.

Professional liability exposure is extensive. Nurses will receive directions from physicians and should follow approved procedures in all ways. Needles and other equipment must be sterilized and sanitized to prevent the spread of blood-borne infectious diseases such as hepatitis, HIV and AIDS. Employees’ backgrounds and certifications must be verified. All licenses must be kept up to date. Employee staff must not perform duties that are outside their area of expertise.

Property exposure is that of an office with papers, computers and some storage of items that may be needed by the home healthcare staff. Some items may be stored at employees’ homes due to the need for easy access. All items must be inventoried on a regular basis. The business income and extra expense exposure can be minimized if the agency has arranged for temporary facilities with another healthcare agency.

Automobile exposure may be limited to hired and non-owned liability for employees running errands or using their own vehicles to make calls on patients. If company owned vehicles are used, agencies should purchase full commercial auto policies. The radius of the driving area, age, record and training of the driver, and vehicle maintenance should be monitored.

Crime exposure is from employee dishonesty of both money and inventory. Background checks should be conducted on all employees handling money. All ordering, billing and disbursement must be handled by separate individuals. Money and securities are a concern if payments are accepted on premises. Deposits should be made regularly and money should not be kept on premises overnight.

Inland marine exposure includes accounts receivable, computers, all equipment that is owned by the agency and is kept off site at the homes or cars of employees, and valuable papers and records for patient records, including doctors’ orders and employee documentation. Back-ups of all records should be stored off-site. The physicians and surgeons floater should be considered for equipment used off-site.

Workers compensation risks for injuries are primarily off-site. Gloves and masks should be worn at all times when working around any bodily fluids as these can transmit diseases. Cuts and puncture wounds may be caused by the use of sharp equipment such as scalpels or needles. Back injuries are common due to the mobility limitations of many home healthcare patients who require lifting or support. Unruly or unpredictable patients can cause injury or harm including strains, back injuries and contusions. The employee must be able to handle conflicts that may occur during interactions with other family members.

Liability Insurance Quotes for Home Healthcare

General Liability Shop.com offers affordable liability insurance quotes for Home Health Agencies throughout the U.S. Our Home Healthcare programs include all lines of business insurance, as well as our Target programs for business owners policies (BOPs). Contact one of our business insurance Specialists today at 800-900-8657, or start a quote online now.

Home Health Liability Classification Codes

Commercial insurance companies use various liability classification systems in order to classify and rate coverage premiums for Home Health Agencies. Here are the most common business insurance classifications for Home Health:

Business Liability Category: Healthcare Providers

SIC Business Insurance Codes:

• 8082: Home Healthcare Services

NAICS Liability Classifications:

• 621610: Home Healthcare Agencies and Services
• 532291: Home Health Equipment Rental
• Miscellaneous Ambulatory Healthcare Services

Business ISO General Liability:

• 44500: Home Healthcare Services (non-profit)
• 44501: Home Healthcare Services (for profit)

Common Workers Compensation Class Codes:

• 8835: Home Healthcare—All Employees

Home healthcare agencies and nurse staffing facilities now have the option of bundling general liability and professional liability into one unique and affordable package.

Start a healthcare insurance quote today.