Michigan Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance
Michigan is one of the few states that caps malpractice damages, and the Treasury resets the figures every year: for 2026, noneconomic damages are limited to $596,400, or $1,065,000 for catastrophic injuries (MCL 600.1483). A physician assistant (PA) here practices under a practice agreement, not supervision, and prescribes under their own DEA number. No Michigan law requires PA coverage. Get an instant quote online with same-day proof.
Why Michigan PAs Need Their Own Policy
Since 2017, Michigan PAs practice medicine under a practice agreement with a participating physician, prescribe under their own name and DEA number, and write orders no physician has to countersign (MCL 333.17049). That independence means claims name you directly. Michigan's 2026 caps limit pain-and-suffering awards, but economic damages such as lost earnings and future care are uncapped. A policy in your own name covers you through agreement changes, which take 30 days' notice, and through telehealth or per diem work.
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Michigan?
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.
Michigan PA Practice Rules
Coverage rule: the PA sections of the Public Health Code (MCL 333.17047–17078) set no malpractice insurance requirement; hospitals and employers set limits, typically $1M/$3M. Damages: noneconomic caps of $596,400 and $1,065,000 for 2026 (MCL 600.1483, Treasury notice Jan. 30, 2026); economic damages uncapped. Deadline: 2 years, or 6 months from discovery, with a 6-year outer limit (MCL 600.5805, 600.5838a). A 182-day notice of intent (600.2912b) and an affidavit of merit (600.2912d) come first. No patient compensation fund.
Michigan PAs practice under a practice agreement with a participating physician (2016 PA 379, effective Mar. 22, 2017). It must set out communication, availability and decision-making, name a backup physician protocol, list duties, require the physician to verify your credentials, and allow termination on 30 days' written notice (MCL 333.17047). There's no fixed ratio and no countersignature requirement (333.17049).
Michigan Physician Assistant (PA) FAQs
Do I need my own malpractice policy as a PA in Michigan?
Not by statute. The PA provisions of the Public Health Code (MCL 333.17047 to 17078) contain no insurance requirement. Michigan hospitals, groups and payers do require it, and since PAs prescribe and write orders in their own name, a personal policy is the norm.
Usually $1M per claim / $3M aggregate, set by contracts. Michigan's noneconomic cap ($596,400 in 2026) doesn't limit economic damages like medical costs and lost wages, so a serious injury claim can still exceed $1M.
What malpractice limits should a Michigan PA carry?
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in Michigan?
Premiums for PAs in Michigan may begin around $972 per year at the $100,000/$300,000 level. At the more common $1,000,000/$3,000,000 limits, average annual premiums are roughly $1523 for Tier P1 (behavioral health, pediatrics, family practice, dermatology), $1988 for Tier P2 (ER, urgent care, surgical centers or OR work <10 hours/week), and $2426 for Tier P3 (OB/GYN without labor & delivery, trauma, pain management, higher-risk surgical). Part-time work in Michigan 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.
Will my clinic's malpractice insurance cover me as a Michigan PA?
Check it first in Michigan. Ask whether you're individually named with your own limits, whether it covers work under other practice agreements or telehealth, and who pays tail if you leave. Remember the 30-day termination notice when you plan a job change.
Patient injury claims tied to your clinical work in Michigan, including defense even when the suit has no merit. Many policies also cover board investigations and depositions where you are only a witness.
What does professional liability insurance pay for if a Michigan PA is sued?
Can physician assistants practice independently in Michigan?
No. Michigan PAs need a practice agreement with a participating physician (MCL 333.17047), which replaced supervision in 2017. It sets communication, availability and decision-making, a backup physician protocol and your duties; Michigan has no fixed ratio and no countersignature requirement (333.17049).
Yes. Under a practice agreement you may prescribe Schedule 2 to 5 drugs under your own name and DEA number (MCL 333.17076), with a Michigan controlled substance license. Review a MAPS report before prescribing more than a 3-day supply (333.7303a), and don't exceed 7 days of opioids within 7 days for acute pain (333.7333b).
Can PAs prescribe controlled substances in Michigan?
What is the statute of limitations for medical malpractice in Michigan?
Generally 2 years from the act in Michigan, or 6 months after the patient discovers or should have discovered the claim if later, with a 6-year outer limit (MCL 600.5805, 600.5838a). Before suing, the patient must serve a 182-day notice of intent (600.2912b).
Does Michigan limit how much a patient can recover in a malpractice suit?
For claims in 2026, noneconomic damages for all plaintiffs against all defendants are capped at $596,400, or $1,065,000 for paralysis from brain or spinal injury, permanent cognitive impairment, or loss of the ability to procreate in Michigan (MCL 600.1483; Treasury, Jan. 30, 2026). Economic damages have no cap.
Does Michigan have a patient compensation fund for PAs?
No. There is no Michigan fund paying above a PA's limits. Instead the legislature capped noneconomic damages and tied the figure to Detroit-area inflation, published each January by the Treasurer. That cap trims pain-and-suffering awards, but medical bills and lost earnings still come from your policy.
Does a Michigan PA need tail coverage after leaving a job?
On claims-made, yes. Michigan claims can be filed up to 6 years after care, and a child injured before age 8 has until their 10th birthday if that's later (MCL 600.5838a, 600.5851). Buy tail or get prior acts before the practice agreement ends.
Should a PA in Michigan buy claims-made or occurrence coverage?
Occurrence covers each year's incidents permanently. Claims-made starts cheaper and steps up, but needs tail. With Michigan's 6-year repose, your tail exposure is bounded, which makes claims-made plus tail easier to price here than in states without one.
What should a new-grad PA in Michigan know about malpractice insurance?
Sign your practice agreement before your first patient, since you can't practice without one in Michigan (MCL 333.17047). Bind coverage the same day, and register with MAPS before prescribing controlled substances. New-grad discounts on $1M/$3M are common.
Can a Michigan PA see patients by telehealth?
Yes. Obtain consent for treatment (MCL 333.16284). You may prescribe by telehealth within your scope, following controlled-substance rules, and must refer when necessary and be available for follow-up (16285). Michigan is listed as a PA Licensure Compact member state; your policy must cover each state where patients are.
Is license defense included in PA malpractice insurance in Michigan?
It should. Individual Michigan PA policies normally fund defense in investigations and hearings by the Michigan Task Force on Physician's Assistants (LARA) under a license protection sublimit. Confirm it before a complaint arrives.
What is the risk of practicing as a PA in Michigan without malpractice insurance?
You hire your own defense and pay any settlement or judgment personally in Michigan. The participating physician's carrier defends the physician. The noneconomic cap helps, but economic damages aren't capped. Employers and hospitals usually treat a lapse as a breach of contract.
Do malpractice settlements get reported to the Michigan PA licensing board?
Your carrier reports any payment it makes for you to the National Practitioner Data Bank under 45 CFR §60.7, and Michigan hospitals see it when they recredential you. Separately, LARA must investigate allegations of misconduct or incompetence (MCL 333.16221), so a claim and a complaint can run side by side.
How long does it take to get PA malpractice coverage in Michigan?
Quickly. Most Michigan PAs can be quoted online in minutes and covered the same day; apply a few days before your start date if a hospital needs specific certificate wording.
What is Michigan's 182-day notice of intent for malpractice claims?
Before filing a malpractice suit, a patient must send a written notice of intent at least 182 days in advance (MCL 600.2912b), then file an affidavit of merit with the complaint in Michigan (600.2912d). If you receive a notice, send it to your carrier the same day; that's when your defense starts.
Your practice agreement can only include duties you and the physician are qualified to perform (MCL 333.17047(2)(e)), and the board can restrict high-risk services in Michigan. Have the policy list neurotoxins, fillers, lasers and every spa location, since cosmetic work is often excluded unless named.
Do PAs working in med spas need different malpractice insurance in Michigan?
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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
- Ohio PA malpractice insurance
- Indiana PA malpractice insurance
- Wisconsin PA malpractice insurance
Michigan sources: