Maryland Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance
A physician assistant (PA) in Maryland is licensed by the Maryland Board of Physicians and, since October 1, 2024, practices under a collaboration agreement with one or more patient care team physicians, with notice to the Board before starting (Health Occ. 15-302). Claims start at the Health Care Alternative Dispute Resolution Office. Quote online from Baltimore, Columbia or Germantown and get same-day proof.
Why Maryland PAs Need Their Own Policy
Maryland caps noneconomic damages, but the cap rises $15,000 every January 1 and reaches $920,000 for claims arising in 2026, or 125% of that in wrongful-death cases with two or more beneficiaries (Cts. & Jud. Proc. 3-2A-09). Economic damages aren't capped. PAs are named health care providers under Maryland's claims law (3-2A-01). Seeing Virginia or DC patients by video? Each jurisdiction needs its own license.
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Maryland?
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.
Maryland PA Practice Rules
Coverage rule: Maryland's PA law (Health Occ. 15-101 et seq.) sets no malpractice insurance requirement; contracts usually ask for $1M/$3M. Damages: noneconomic cap of $650,000 plus $15,000 a year since 2009, $920,000 for 2026 (Cts. & Jud. Proc. 3-2A-09); no patient compensation fund. Deadline: 5 years from injury or 3 from discovery, whichever is earlier (5-109).
Maryland's PA Modernization Act of 2024 (Chs. 919 and 920) replaced delegation agreements with collaboration agreements. The agreement lists the physicians, any specialty and the practice settings, is kept at the practice and must be noticed to the Board before you practice (Health Occ. 15-302). Maryland still doesn't allow PAs to practice independently (15-301(a)).
Maryland Physician Assistant (PA) FAQs
Does Maryland require PAs to carry malpractice insurance?
Not by statute. Maryland's PA law has no coverage requirement, but PAs are listed health care providers under the state's malpractice claims law (Cts. & Jud. Proc. 3-2A-01), so claims can name you directly. Employers usually require $1M per claim and $3M aggregate.
$1M/$3M is the usual contract minimum. Maryland's noneconomic cap is $920,000 for causes arising in 2026 (3-2A-09), but medical costs and lost wages aren't capped, so surgical and emergency PAs may want higher limits. Your contract sets the number.
How much malpractice coverage does a PA need in Maryland?
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Maryland?
For Maryland, malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants can be priced from about $972 per year at entry-level $100,000/$300,000 limits. Full-time coverage at the standard $1M/$3M level often averages $1523 for P1 (lower-risk outpatient specialties like family practice or dermatology), $1988 for P2 (hospital ER, urgent care, OR work under 10 hours/week), and $2426 for P3 (surgical or OB/GYN without L&D, trauma, pain management). Part-time work in Maryland 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.
Am I covered under my supervising physician's policy as a Maryland PA?
Only for that job. A Maryland group or hospital policy covers you while you work there, often with limits shared across every clinician, and it ends when you leave. A personal policy fills the gaps.
Claims that your diagnosis, treatment, prescribing or procedures injured a patient: lawyers, experts, court costs and damages. Most Maryland PA policies also include a license defense limit for the Maryland Board of Physicians.
What does a physician assistant malpractice policy actually cover in Maryland?
Can a PA practice without a supervising physician in Maryland?
No. Maryland still does not allow independent PA practice (Health Occ. 15-301(a)). Since the PA Modernization Act of 2024, you work under a collaboration agreement that lists the physicians, any specialty and the practice settings, is kept at the practice and is noticed to the Board before you start (15-302).
Yes, Schedules II to V, if your collaboration agreement grants prescribing and includes the required attestations, such as NCCPA certification or 8 hours of pharmacology in the last 2 years. You need a Maryland CDS registration and DEA registration (Health Occ. 15-302.2).
Can a Maryland PA prescribe Schedule II drugs?
What is the deadline to file a malpractice claim against a PA in Maryland?
The earlier of 5 years from the injury or 3 years from discovery in Maryland. For a child under 11, the clock starts at age 11, or at 16 for reproductive-system or foreign-object injuries (Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-109). Filing with HCADRO counts as filing the action.
Is there a damages cap or state compensation fund for Maryland malpractice claims?
No. Maryland has no patient compensation fund. It relies on a noneconomic damages cap instead, $650,000 for 2005 to 2008 claims plus $15,000 each year since, applied in aggregate to all claims from the same medical injury (Cts. & Jud. Proc. 3-2A-09).
Do Maryland PAs need tail insurance when changing jobs?
Only on claims-made coverage. Tail, or an extended reporting endorsement, keeps past care covered after you leave; a new carrier's prior-acts (nose) coverage can replace it. In Maryland, a claim can be filed up to 5 years after the injury, or 3 years after discovery if earlier, and children get longer (Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-109).
Occurrence vs claims-made: which is better for a Maryland PA?
Occurrence covers each year's incidents permanently in Maryland. Claims-made costs less at first but needs tail. Because children's claims can start years later under 5-109(b), a claims-made policy needs tail or prior-acts cover that runs long enough.
Should a newly licensed Maryland PA buy their own malpractice policy?
Yes. New grads are not exempt from lawsuits or Maryland Board of Physicians complaints. Get the employer's coverage terms in writing, including tail, before you sign your first Maryland contract.
Does a Maryland PA's malpractice policy cover virtual visits?
It should. Maryland isn't in the PA Licensure Compact, so you need a license in each patient's state or DC. Confirm the policy lists telehealth and every jurisdiction where your patients are.
Will my malpractice insurance defend my Maryland PA license?
Most individual PA policies do, but the limit is far lower than the malpractice limit. Check the license defense sublimit on your declarations page and whether it covers Maryland Board of Physicians hearings.
What is the risk of practicing as a PA in Maryland without malpractice insurance?
No statute forbids it, but hospitals and most employers won't credential you in Maryland. As a named health care provider (3-2A-01), you could face a claim on your own, and any judgment your policy doesn't cover, including uncapped economic damages, would fall on your own assets.
Will a malpractice claim show up on my record as a Maryland PA?
Payments made for you go to the NPDB in Maryland. The Board can demand changes to your practice or refer you for discipline if it finds practice inconsistent with the PA or physician laws (Health Occ. 15-302(c)). Tell your carrier as soon as a claim is filed with HCADRO.
How quickly can I get covered as a PA in Maryland?
Usually within a day for a clean application. The instant online quote prices Maryland PA coverage in minutes; prior claims or surgical work can add underwriting time.
Do Maryland PAs who work in DC or Virginia need multistate coverage?
Yes, if you treat patients there. Each jurisdiction licenses PAs separately, and a Maryland collaboration agreement doesn't authorize practice elsewhere. List every state and DC on your policy.
What did Maryland's 2024 PA Modernization Act change for PA liability?
The PA Modernization Act (effective October 1, 2024) swapped delegation agreements for collaboration agreements and lets PAs with 7,000 clinical hours perform advanced duties without prior Board approval in Maryland (Health Occ. 15-302.1(e)). PAs still can't practice independently (15-301(a)), but your own policy should match your wider role.
In Maryland, a patient care team physician may not delegate under collaboration agreements to more than 8 PAs at once, except in hospitals, correctional facilities, detention centers and public health facilities (Health Occ. 15-302(d)).
How many PAs can one physician supervise in Maryland?
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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
- Virginia PA malpractice insurance
- Delaware PA malpractice insurance
- Pennsylvania PA malpractice insurance
Maryland sources:
- Maryland Board of Physicians: physician assistants
- Health Occ. 15-302 (collaboration agreements)
- Health Occ. 15-302.2 (prescribing)
- Health Occ. 15-302.1 (advanced duties)
- 2024 Md. Laws ch. 919 (PA Modernization Act)
- Cts. & Jud. Proc. 3-2A-09 (noneconomic cap)
- Cts. & Jud. Proc. 3-2A-04 (HCADRO and certificate)
- Cts. & Jud. Proc. 5-109 (deadlines)