Alaska Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance
A physician assistant (PA) in Alaska is licensed by the State Medical Board and, since SB 89 took effect Sept. 16, 2026, is responsible by statute for the care the PA provides (AS 08.64.107(b)). No Alaska law requires PA malpractice insurance, so employers, hospitals and tribal contracts set your limits. Quote online from Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau and get same-day proof.
Physician Assistants Need Tailored Liability Insurance
Alaska
Why
Alaska caps noneconomic malpractice damages at $250,000, or $400,000 for wrongful death or impairment over 70% disabling, but the cap disappears for reckless or intentional conduct and never limits lost wages or medical bills (AS 09.55.549). Most suits go to a court-appointed expert panel first (09.55.536), and every paid claim must be reported to the board within 30 days (08.64.345). A village clinic rotation, a tribal job and Anchorage moonlighting can each sit under a different policy.
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Alaska?
Costs are based on specialties as well as full vs part- time hours:
Average $1M/$3M Coverage Premium - Part Time (less than 24 hours/week):
$1,012 - P1 (lower-risk outpatient specialties like family practice or dermatology)
$1,317 - P2 (hospital ER, urgent care, OR work under 10 hours/week)
$1,611 - P3 (surgical or OB/GYN without L&D, trauma, pain management)
Average $1M/$3M Coverage Premium - Full Time (greater than 24 hours/week):
$1,523 - P1 (lower-risk outpatient specialties like family practice or dermatology)
$1,988 - P2 (hospital ER, urgent care, OR work under 10 hours/week)
$2,426 - P3 (surgical or OB/GYN without L&D, trauma, pain management)
Sample rates only. Premium will be underwritten for your exact situation when using our Instant Online Quote portal.
Physician Assistant Insurance cost varies depending on:
* Scope of services provided
* Claims-made vs. occurrence form
* Policy limits (standard limits are $1/$3M, but $100k/$300k, $250k/$500k, $500k/$1M and $2M/$4M limits available
* Prior claims history
**Note:** Rates will be underwritten for your exact situation.
Alaska
Physician Assistant Specific Laws and Regulations
Coverage rule: AS 08.64 and 12 AAC 40 set no PA malpractice insurance requirement; contracts usually ask for $1M/$3M. Damages: noneconomic cap of $250,000 or $400,000 under 09.55.549, no cap for reckless or intentional acts, no patient compensation fund. Deadline: 2 years from accrual (09.10.070), with a 10-year outer limit for most claims (09.10.055). Reporting: paid claims to the board within 30 days (08.64.345).
Under AS 08.64.107(c) as reenacted by SB 89, an Alaska PA practices under a written collaborative agreement describing how collaboration with a physician occurs, attests to it at licensure and renewal, and gives the board a copy on request. No agreement is needed at physician-directed or state-licensed facilities, tribal or federal sites, FQHCs, rural health clinics, military facilities or board-approved sites (107(d)).
Alaska
Physician Assistant Frequently Asked Questions
Do physician assistants (PAs) in Alaska need malpractice insurance?
Not by statute or board rule. Neither AS 08.64 nor 12 AAC 40 requires it. Hospitals, groups and locum agencies require it for credentialing, usually $1M per claim and $3M aggregate. Federal and tribal jobs may be covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act instead.
$1M/$3M is the usual contract minimum. Because Alaska caps noneconomic damages at $250,000 or $400,000 (AS 09.55.549) but leaves economic losses uncapped, a severe injury with lifetime care or lost earnings can still exceed $1M. Your contract sets the number.
What limits do Alaska PAs carry?
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Alaska?
Physician Assistants in Alaska often see premiums starting near $972 annually for basic $100,000/$300,000 coverage. For standard $1M/$3M coverage, expect typical costs of about $1523 for P1 specialties (pediatrics, behavioral health, dermatology, family practice), $1988 for P2 (ER, urgent care, surgical centers under 10 hrs/week), and $2426 for P3 (OB/GYN excluding labor & delivery, trauma, high-risk surgical). Part-time Physician Assistants in Alaska usually see lower rates, averaging $1012, $1317, and $1611 across the same P1P3 tiers. Premiums ultimately reflect specialty, procedures, venue, and malpractice history.
Does Alaska have a patient compensation fund or damage cap?
No fund. Noneconomic damages for one injury are capped at $250,000 across all providers, or $400,000 for wrongful death or severe permanent impairment over 70% disabling. The cap doesn't apply to reckless or intentional misconduct, and economic damages are uncapped (AS 09.55.549).
The Alaska State Medical Board, which includes one PA member (AS 08.64.010). SB 89 added 08.64.206: graduation from an ARC-PA accredited program, current NCCPA certification and a passing NCCPA exam. Renewal is every 2 years with proof of current NCCPA certification (12 AAC 40.470).
Who licenses physician assistants in Alaska?
Can Alaska PAs prescribe controlled substances?
Yes. As reenacted by SB 89, AS 08.64.107(a)(14) lists prescribing Schedule II to V controlled substances and all legend drugs. You need a DEA registration on file with the department (12 AAC 40.450), and an initial adult outpatient opioid prescription is limited to 7 days unless an exception is documented (08.64.363).
Board rule 12 AAC 40.415 defines a remote location as 30 or more road miles from the physician's office and requires PAs with under 2 years of experience to work 160 supervised hours first, 40 before starting. List every clinic and seasonal site you rotate through on the policy.
How does remote and village practice affect an Alaska PA's coverage?
Does Alaska PA coverage include telehealth?
It should. AS 08.64.364 lets a PA treat and prescribe without an in-person exam if follow-up care is available and records go to the patient's primary care provider with consent; it bars prescribing from an internet questionnaire alone. Confirm the policy covers each state where patients sit.
Do tribal health or federal clinic jobs in Alaska include coverage?
Often. Under 25 U.S.C. 5321(d), a tribal organization carrying out an Indian Self-Determination Act contract is deemed part of the Public Health Service, so its employees, and some personal-services contractors at IHS facilities, get Federal Tort Claims Act protection for that work. Outside shifts need your own policy.
What happens if a Physician Assistant in Alaska practices without malpractice insurance?
No statute forbids it, but most employers and hospitals won't credential you. You'd pay defense costs yourself, economic damages are uncapped, and the noneconomic cap of up to $400,000 still applies to you personally (AS 09.55.549).
Are malpractice claims against Physician Assistants reportable to the state board in Alaska?
Yes, by you. AS 08.64.345 requires every licensee to report the outcome of each paid malpractice claim or suit within 30 days. 12 AAC 40.930 calls for a signed, notarized report, and failing to file is unprofessional conduct. Payments also go to the National Practitioner Data Bank (45 CFR 60.7).
Do Physician Assistants in Alaska need higher limits for med spa or aesthetic procedures?
Possibly. AS 08.64.107(a) lets you provide only services your education, training and experience qualify you for and that you're competent to perform. Injectables and laser work carry their own risk, so list them on the policy and confirm the facility's required limits before you start.
Does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants in Alaska cover telemedicine?
Only where you're licensed. HB 110 (ch. 28, SLA 2026) enacted the PA Licensure Compact as AS 08.64.254, and the Compact Commission lists Alaska as a member, but privileges depend on the Commission's rollout. Until then you need a license where the patient sits.
Do supervising or collaborating physicians in Alaska share liability for a Physician Assistants services?
SB 89 says the PA is responsible for the care the PA provides (AS 08.64.107(b)). A collaborating physician can still be sued on their own conduct, but don't count on that physician's policy. Alaska's malpractice law names PAs as health care providers (09.55.560), so you can be sued directly.
What changed for Alaska PAs on Sept. 16, 2026?
SB 89 (ch. 21, SLA 2026) repealed and reenacted AS 08.64.107. It replaced the board-filed collaborative plan with a written collaborative agreement, listed PA services by statute and exempted listed facilities from needing an agreement. Board rules are being rewritten to match.
What is Alaska's expert advisory panel?
In most malpractice suits not sent to arbitration, the court appoints a 3-person expert panel within 20 days after the answer. Its report on diagnosis, treatment and causation is admissible at trial, and discovery waits until the report or 60 days after selection (AS 09.55.536).
Can an Alaska practice require patients to sign an arbitration agreement?
Alaska allows voluntary malpractice arbitration (AS 09.55.535), but a licensee can be sanctioned for denying care when the patient's only reason was refusing to agree to arbitrate (08.64.326(a)(12), as amended by SB 89 to cover all licensees).
Do Alaska PAs need tail coverage when they change jobs?
On claims-made, yes. Most suits must be filed within 2 years of accrual (AS 09.10.070), but time before age 8 doesn't count for a young child (09.10.140(c)), and the general outer limit is 10 years from the last act (09.10.055). Plan tail or prior-acts coverage for that window.
Claims-made or occurrence for an Alaska PA?
Occurrence covers each year's incidents permanently. Claims-made starts cheaper but needs tail. With child claims that can wait until after age 8 and a 10-year outer limit, a claims-made policy should come with tail or prior-acts coverage.
Less so. SB 89 amended AS 21.07.010(b) so a health insurer's provider contract can't impose practice, education or collaboration requirements on PAs that are stricter than AS 08.64 or board rules. That's about payment contracts, not malpractice policies.
Do Alaska payer contracts still limit what PAs can do?
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