Professional Liability Insurance
Physical therapists should refer to the PT-specific Professional Liability Insurance Requirements policy (PDF) for additional profession-specific requirements.
What is PLI?
PLI protects both the public and healthcare professionals by covering the costs associated with claims of malpractice, negligence, or errors in professional services.
If a member of the public is harmed as a result of a professional’s care, PLI helps ensure that financial compensation and legal costs can be addressed.
Who is required to have PLI?
What if I am not practising?
A licensee in the Full or Provisional class must continue to maintain PLI even if they are not currently practising.
What are the PLI requirements?
Under the CHCPBC Bylaws, every licensee must maintain professional liability protection or insurance that:
- provides coverage of at least $2 million per claim or occurrence,
- covers their professional practice within the applicable profession(s), and
- remains valid and in effect at all times while they are licensed with CHCPBC.
Do I have to purchase my own PLI?
Physical therapists must maintain their own individual PLI.
For all other professions, employer-provided coverage may be acceptable, as long as it meets CHCPBC bylaw requirements.
When is proof of PLI required?
At initial application: Proof of coverage is required prior to licensure approval.
As part of your application, you will be required to provide a copy of your professional liability insurance policy that clearly shows:
- Your name
- The profession for which you are insured
- The coverage amount
- The effective start date and expiry date of the policy
At annual renewal: Details of coverage are required as part of annual licence renewal.
In the Licensee Portal, enter the name of your insurance provider and the policy effective and expiry dates.
- If your sole employer is a facility or agency in a Health Authority and is therefore covered by the Health Care Protection Program, enter HCPP as your provider and the dates of the new licensure year (April 1 of this year–March 31 of next year) as your policy start and expiry dates. Please do not enter Ministry of Finance as your provider.
- If your sole employer is a school district, enter Schools Protection Program as your provider and the start/expiry dates defined in your policy.
At any time: Proof may be requested for audit or compliance review purposes.
Who should I contact if I have questions about my coverage?
The College will review the proof of PLI coverage submitted to determine whether it meets the bylaw requirements. However, the College cannot provide advice regarding the specific terms, conditions, exclusions, or coverage details of an insurance policy beyond the requirements outlined in the CHCPBC Bylaws.
If you have questions about your PLI policy or coverage, please contact your employer, professional association, insurance broker, or insurance provider.
CHCPBC does not recommend or endorse any insurance provider.
