South Carolina Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance
A physician assistant (PA) in South Carolina is licensed by the Board of Medical Examiners and practices under a supervising physician who is responsible for all aspects of your practice, under written scope of practice guidelines (S.C. Code 40-47-955 and 40-47-960). Quote online from Charleston, Columbia or North Charleston and get same-day proof.
Why South Carolina PAs Need Their Own Policy
South Carolina's noneconomic damages cap rises with inflation: the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office set it at $596,001 per provider and $1,788,002 for all providers per claimant in its February 2026 update (S.C. Code 15-32-220). The cap disappears for gross negligence, recklessness or altered records. Before suing, a patient files a Notice of Intent with an expert affidavit and mediates (15-79-125). South Carolina isn't a PA Licensure Compact member; North Carolina or Georgia patients need those licenses.
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in South Carolina?
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.
South Carolina PA Practice Rules
Coverage rule: no South Carolina statute or Board rule requires PAs to carry malpractice insurance; Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston hospitals usually ask for $1M/$3M. Damages: noneconomic damages capped at $596,001 per provider, $1,788,002 total, per RFA's 2026 update (S.C. Code 15-32-220). Deadline: 3 years from treatment or discovery, 6-year repose (15-3-545).
Your supervising physician notifies the Board and submits scope of practice guidelines; you may start 10 business days later (S.C. Code 40-47-938). Supervision is continuous but needn't be on site, and PAs with under two years of practice or changing specialty need 60 days on site before working off site (40-47-955(C)).
South Carolina Physician Assistant (PA) FAQs
Does South Carolina require PAs to carry malpractice insurance?
No statute requires it. In South Carolina, your supervising physician is responsible for all aspects of your practice (S.C. Code 40-47-955), but claims still name PAs, and Charleston and Columbia employers require $1M per claim and $3M aggregate.
$1M/$3M is the common contract minimum in South Carolina. The noneconomic cap of $596,001 per provider for 2026 (S.C. Code 15-32-220) doesn't limit economic or punitive damages, so the full limit can be needed.
How much malpractice coverage does a PA need in South Carolina?
How much does malpractice insurance for Physician Assistants cost in South Carolina?
Physician Assistants in South Carolina often see premiums starting near $972 annually for basic $100,000/$300,000 coverage. 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). If practicing part-time in South Carolina, premiums are commonly about $1012 for P1, $1317 for P2, and $1611 for P3. Final premiums vary by specialty, procedures, hours worked, and individual claims history.
Is a group or hospital malpractice policy enough for a PA in South Carolina?
For on-the-job care, usually; for anything else, no. A South Carolina employer plan skips moonlighting, volunteer shifts and often board complaints, and the employer controls the defense.
Patient injury claims tied to your clinical work in South Carolina, 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 South Carolina PA is sued?
Can a PA practice without a supervising physician in South Carolina?
No. South Carolina PAs practice under a supervising physician, who notifies the Board and submits scope of practice guidelines before you start (S.C. Code 40-47-938). Supervision is continuous but need not be on site, though PAs with under 2 years of practice or changing specialty need 60 days on site first (40-47-955(C)).
Yes, if your scope guidelines authorize it in South Carolina (S.C. Code 40-47-965). Schedule II narcotics are limited to an initial 5-day supply after you evaluate the patient; refills need your supervising physician's documented approval.
Can PAs prescribe controlled substances in South Carolina?
What is the deadline to file a malpractice claim against a PA in South Carolina?
3 years from treatment or from when the injury was or should have been discovered, but no more than 6 years from the occurrence; foreign objects have 2 years from discovery in South Carolina (S.C. Code 15-3-545).
Is there a cap on medical malpractice damages in South Carolina?
$596,001 per provider and $1,788,002 for all providers per claimant, per the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office's February 3, 2026 memo, effective on State Register publication in South Carolina (S.C. Code 15-32-220(F)).
Does South Carolina have a patient compensation fund for PAs?
No excess fund sits above a PA's own policy in South Carolina. The noneconomic cap limits one kind of award, but economic damages and capped amounts are paid from your limits, then your assets.
Do South Carolina 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 South Carolina, claims are due 3 years from treatment or discovery, with a 6-year repose (S.C. Code 15-3-545).
Occurrence vs claims-made: which is better for a South Carolina PA?
Occurrence covers each year's incidents permanently in South Carolina. Claims-made costs less at first but needs tail. With a 6-year repose (S.C. Code 15-3-545), plan tail or prior-acts cover when you change jobs.
Can a new graduate South Carolina PA work off site right away?
No, not in South Carolina. With under two years of continuous practice, or when changing specialty, you need 60 days of on-site experience with your supervising physician first, unless the physician waives it in writing (S.C. Code 40-47-955(C)).
Does a South Carolina PA's malpractice policy cover virtual visits?
It should. Your scope guidelines may authorize telemedicine (S.C. Code 40-47-955(B)), but South Carolina isn't a PA Licensure Compact member, so you need a license where each patient is. List telehealth and every state.
Is license defense included in PA malpractice insurance in South Carolina?
It should. Individual South Carolina PA policies normally fund defense in investigations and hearings by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners under a license protection sublimit. Confirm it before a complaint arrives.
What is the risk of practicing as a PA in South Carolina without malpractice insurance?
No statute forbids it, but employers won't credential you in South Carolina. The cap doesn't cover economic damages and vanishes for gross negligence (S.C. Code 15-32-220(E)), so a judgment could reach personal assets.
Do malpractice settlements get reported to the South Carolina PA licensing board?
Payments made for you go to the NPDB, and the Board of Medical Examiners disciplines PAs under chapter 47 in South Carolina. Tell your carrier as soon as you receive a Notice of Intent (S.C. Code 15-79-125).
How long does it take to get PA malpractice coverage in South Carolina?
Quickly. Most South Carolina 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 must happen before a South Carolina malpractice suit is filed?
The patient files a Notice of Intent to File Suit with an expert's affidavit, and the parties go through pre-suit mediation in South Carolina (S.C. Code 15-79-125). That window is when your carrier's defense starts.
Yes, in South Carolina. Your guidelines must be on file at all sites (S.C. Code 40-47-960), and off-site charts are reviewed periodically by your physician (40-47-955(C)). List every site and employer on your policy.
Do South Carolina PAs need coverage for each practice site?
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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
- North Carolina PA malpractice insurance
- Georgia PA malpractice insurance
- Tennessee PA malpractice insurance
South Carolina sources: