North Dakota Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance
A physician assistant (PA) in North Dakota is licensed by the Board of Medicine and is responsible for the care they provide; no written agreement is required once you pass 4,000 hours (N.D.C.C. 43-17-02.1). Collaboration is set at the practice. Quote online from Fargo, Bismarck or Grand Forks and get same-day proof.
Why North Dakota PAs Need Their Own Policy
North Dakota removed PA supervision: you collaborate, consult or refer as the patient needs, the practice sets the degree of collaboration, and you answer for your own care (N.D.C.C. 43-17-02.1(3)). That makes your own policy the primary defense. Noneconomic damages are capped at $500,000 no matter how many providers are sued (32-42-02). North Dakota is a PA Licensure Compact member; Minnesota, Montana or South Dakota patients still need a license or privilege.
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in North Dakota?
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.
North Dakota PA Practice Rules
Coverage rule: no North Dakota statute or Board rule requires PAs to carry malpractice insurance; Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks hospitals usually ask for $1M/$3M. Damages: noneconomic compensation is capped at $500,000 per injury regardless of the number of defendants (N.D.C.C. 32-42-02). Deadline: 2 years from accrual (28-01-18(3)), and an expert affidavit within 3 months in most cases (28-01-46).
Only PAs with fewer than 4,000 hours need a written collaborative agreement with a physician that describes how collaboration occurs and is available to the Board on request (N.D.C.C. 43-17-02.1(6)). Every PA must practice at a licensed facility, physician-owned practice or Board-approved site.
North Dakota Physician Assistant (PA) FAQs
Are North Dakota physician assistants required to have liability insurance?
No statute requires it. In North Dakota, because you're responsible for the care you provide and no supervising physician stands behind you (N.D.C.C. 43-17-02.1(3)), hospitals and clinics require coverage, usually $1M per claim and $3M aggregate.
$1M/$3M is the usual contract minimum in North Dakota. Noneconomic damages are capped at $500,000 (N.D.C.C. 32-42-02), but economic damages such as lost wages and medical costs aren't capped.
What policy limits do North Dakota hospitals expect PAs to carry?
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in North Dakota?
Premiums for PAs in North Dakota may begin around $972 per year at the $100,000/$300,000 level. 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 and delivery, trauma, high-risk surgical). Part-time Physician Assistants in North Dakota usually see lower rates, averaging $1012, $1317, and $1611 across the same P1 to P3 tiers. Final premiums vary by specialty, procedures, hours worked, and individual claims history.
Am I covered under my supervising physician's policy as a North Dakota PA?
Only for that job. A North Dakota 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.
Patient injury claims tied to your clinical work in North Dakota, 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 North Dakota PA is sued?
Does a North Dakota PA need a collaborative agreement with a physician?
Only under 4,000 hours of practice in North Dakota. The agreement is between you and a physician, describes how collaboration occurs, and is available to the Board on request (N.D.C.C. 43-17-02.1(6)).
Yes, in North Dakota. You may prescribe and dispense Schedule II through V substances and all legend drugs, with DEA registration (N.D.C.C. 43-17-02.1(4)). Dispensing is limited to cases where pharmacy services aren't reasonably available or there's an emergency.
Can PAs prescribe controlled substances in North Dakota?
What is the statute of limitations for medical malpractice in North Dakota?
2 years after the claim accrues in North Dakota (N.D.C.C. 28-01-18(3)). The statute's 6-year limit on extensions for nondiscovery names physicians and hospitals; ask counsel how it applies to a PA.
Does North Dakota limit how much a patient can recover in a malpractice suit?
$500,000 in total noneconomic damages for the claimant and family, regardless of how many providers or defendants are sued in North Dakota (N.D.C.C. 32-42-02). The jury isn't told about the cap; the court reduces the award.
Does North Dakota have a patient compensation fund for PAs?
No. Unlike Nebraska or Wisconsin, North Dakota never created a patient compensation fund. A Bismarck jury verdict above your limits, minus the noneconomic reduction, is yours to pay.
Is tail coverage required for PAs in North Dakota?
On a claims-made policy, yes; on occurrence, never. Tail covers claims filed after the policy ends for care you already gave. In North Dakota, a claim is due 2 years after it accrues, and discovery rules can push exposure further (N.D.C.C. 28-01-18(3)).
What is the difference between claims-made and occurrence for PAs in North Dakota?
Either works if you plan the exit in North Dakota. A claims-made policy ends with the job unless you buy tail; occurrence never needs it. Since nondiscovery can stretch the 2-year clock (N.D.C.C. 28-01-18), leaving Fargo or Bismarck without tail is risky.
Do new-grad PAs need malpractice insurance in North Dakota?
Have coverage in place before you see patients. Your first North Dakota employer will usually ask for proof at credentialing, and a personal occurrence policy keeps you covered if that first job ends early.
Does PA malpractice insurance cover telehealth in North Dakota?
It can. Chapter 43-17.5 enacts the PA Licensure Compact here, and 43-17-02.1(1) lets a privilege holder treat North Dakota patients. Video visits into Minnesota or Montana follow those states' rules, so name them on your declarations page.
Is license defense included in PA malpractice insurance in North Dakota?
It should. Individual North Dakota PA policies normally fund defense in investigations and hearings by the North Dakota Board of Medicine under a license protection sublimit. Confirm it before a complaint arrives.
What is the risk of practicing as a PA in North Dakota without malpractice insurance?
No statute forbids it, but facilities won't credential you in North Dakota. With no supervising physician and uncapped economic damages, a judgment would fall on your personal assets.
Do malpractice settlements get reported to the North Dakota PA licensing board?
Payments made for you go to the NPDB, and the Board of Medicine handles discipline in North Dakota. Before suing, a claimant's attorney must advise on alternative dispute resolution (N.D.C.C. 32-42-03).
How long does it take to get PA malpractice coverage in North Dakota?
Quickly. Most North Dakota 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.
Do Fargo PAs who see Minnesota patients need malpractice coverage there?
Yes, if you treat patients in Minnesota, including Moorhead in North Dakota. Minnesota licenses PAs separately, so list Minnesota on your policy and confirm your employer's coverage reaches there.
Usually, in North Dakota. N.D.C.C. 28-01-46 requires an expert affidavit within 3 months for claims against physicians, nurses, hospitals and clinics; obvious errors are excepted. It doesn't list PAs by name, so expect it to be argued.
Does a North Dakota malpractice claim need an expert affidavit?
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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
- Minnesota PA malpractice insurance
- Montana PA malpractice insurance
- South Dakota PA malpractice insurance
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