Kentucky Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance
A physician assistant (PA) in Kentucky is licensed by the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure and, since July 15, 2026, must have a signed supervision agreement in effect before treating patients (KRS 311.854, SB 116). Kentucky's constitution bars caps on injury or death damages. Quote online from Louisville, Lexington or Bowling Green and get same-day proof.
Why Kentucky PAs Need Their Own Policy
No Kentucky law limits what a jury can award for injury or death (Ky. Const. Section 54), so your limits are the only ceiling on your own exposure. Pain and addiction-medicine PAs face strict Schedule II to V limits and extra continuing education (KRS 311.858(4), 311.844(3)). An employer's policy protects the employer first. Seeing Tennessee or Ohio patients by video? Each state needs its own license.
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Kentucky?
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.
Kentucky PA Practice Rules
Coverage rule: KRS 311.840 to 311.862 set no PA malpractice insurance requirement; contracts usually ask for $1M/$3M. Damages: no caps allowed (Ky. Const. Section 54); no patient compensation fund. Deadline: 1 year for malpractice and professional-services claims, with a 5-year repose for claims against physicians (KRS 413.140).
Kentucky PAs practice under a supervising physician. Since July 15, 2026 the pair signs a supervision agreement covering scope, supervision method, communication and practice sites, filed with the Board and kept at the primary site (KRS 311.854). A physician may supervise up to 4 PAs.
Kentucky Physician Assistant (PA) FAQs
Do I need my own malpractice policy as a PA in Kentucky?
Not by statute. In Kentucky, the PA law (KRS 311.840 to 311.862) has no coverage requirement, but hospitals must give written permission before you practice there and may set conditions (KRS 311.858(7)). Most employers require $1M per claim and $3M aggregate.
$1M/$3M is the usual contract minimum. Kentucky's constitution bars damage caps (Section 54), so verdicts aren't limited by statute, and some PAs in surgery, emergency or pain medicine carry more. Your contract sets the number.
What malpractice limits should a Kentucky PA carry?
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Kentucky?
Physician Assistants in Kentucky 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 work in Kentucky often brings reduced premiums, roughly $1012 for Tier P1, $1317 for Tier P2, and $1611 for Tier P3. Premiums ultimately reflect specialty, procedures, venue, and malpractice history.
If my Kentucky employer insures me, do I still need my own PA policy?
Partly. Supervising physicians' own policies rarely extend to a Kentucky PA, and employer plans can share one aggregate among all providers. Your own policy keeps limits that nobody else can use up.
Malpractice suits first, plus extras that vary by carrier: license defense before the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, deposition help and often HIPAA or billing-error defense. Read the declarations page for each sublimit.
What will my PA malpractice policy pay for in Kentucky?
Does Kentucky allow PAs to practice independently?
No. Kentucky PAs practice under a supervising physician. Since July 15, 2026 the pair signs a supervision agreement covering scope, supervision method, communication and practice sites, filed with the Board and kept at the primary site, and a physician may supervise up to 4 PAs (KRS 311.854).
Yes, Schedules II to V, after 1 year of practice, Board approval of an application your supervising physician signs, DEA registration and KASPER registration in Kentucky. Narcotic Schedule II is limited to 72 hours; Schedule III and hydrocodone combinations to 30 days; benzodiazepines to 30 days (KRS 311.858(4)).
Can a Kentucky PA prescribe Schedule II drugs?
How many years can a patient wait to sue for malpractice in Kentucky?
Kentucky's limit is short: 1 year for malpractice and professional-services claims. For claims against physicians it runs from discovery, with a 5-year repose (KRS 413.140(1)(e)-(f), (2)-(3)). Claims-made policies still need tail coverage for that window.
Are pain and suffering damages capped in Kentucky malpractice cases?
No. Section 54 of the Kentucky Constitution says the General Assembly can't limit recovery for injuries resulting in death or injuries to person or property. Punitive damages are possible too, so higher limits deserve a look.
Is there a state excess fund that covers Kentucky PAs?
No. Kentucky has no patient compensation fund and no damages cap, so your policy limits are your only layer of protection for your own exposure.
Does a Kentucky PA need tail coverage after leaving a job?
It depends on the policy form. Claims-made coverage stops covering past care when it ends unless tail or prior acts is bought; occurrence coverage needs no tail. Kentucky's 1-year deadline can run from discovery, with a 5-year repose for claims against physicians (KRS 413.140), so claims can still arrive years after you leave.
Should a PA in Kentucky buy claims-made or occurrence coverage?
Occurrence covers each year's incidents permanently. Claims-made costs less at first but needs tail when you leave. Kentucky's short filing deadline shortens the tail window, but no damages cap means the tail's limits matter.
Is malpractice insurance cheaper for new graduate PAs in Kentucky?
Often, yes. Many carriers price new graduates lower and step rates up over a few years. A Kentucky PA starting out should compare that to the employer's plan and its tail terms.
Do Kentucky PAs need special coverage for telehealth?
Supervision doesn't require the physician to be present (KRS 311.840(8)), so remote work is possible. Kentucky isn't in the PA Licensure Compact, so you need a license in each patient's state and a policy listing those states.
Does PA malpractice insurance cover a Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure complaint?
On most individual policies, yes. Board complaints are more common than lawsuits, and the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure can investigate a Kentucky PA over prescribing or documentation with no patient suing.
What happens if a Kentucky PA practices without malpractice insurance?
No statute forbids it, but hospitals can refuse permission to practice (KRS 311.858(7)) and most employers won't hire you in Kentucky. With no damages cap (Ky. Const. Section 54), any uncovered judgment falls on your own assets.
Will a malpractice claim show up on my record as a Kentucky PA?
Payments made for you go to the NPDB in Kentucky. Your supervising physician must notify the Board within 3 business days if they stop supervising you or believe in good faith that you broke a PA discipline rule (KRS 311.856(9)). Tell your carrier as soon as a claim letter arrives.
Can a Kentucky PA buy malpractice insurance online?
Use the instant online quote for Kentucky PA coverage, then send any credentialing requirements, like a certificate holder, so your proof matches what the facility asks for. Email jeff@careproinsurance.com with questions.
What did Kentucky's SB 116 change for PAs in 2026?
In Kentucky, from July 15, 2026 it requires a signed supervision agreement on a Board form, drops the countersignature and 2-year reevaluation rules, lets facilities name alternate supervisors, adds Schedule II with supply limits and repeals KRS 311.860 (2026 Ky. Acts ch. 94).
They should disclose buprenorphine and other controlled-substance prescribing on the application in Kentucky. Prescribing needs Board approval and KASPER registration (KRS 311.858(4)), and treatment programs' policies may not cover the PA individually.
Do Kentucky addiction-medicine PAs need special malpractice coverage?
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Helpful Links:
- Physician assistant (PA) insurance guide
- PA malpractice insurance cost by state
- Instant PA insurance quotes
- Am I covered under my supervising physician's policy?
- Tail coverage for physician assistants
- Claims-made vs occurrence for PAs
- Tennessee PA malpractice insurance
- Ohio PA malpractice insurance
- Indiana PA malpractice insurance
Kentucky sources: