Policyholder Services



I have been asked to perform surgery for a televised event. Will my OMIC policy cover this procedure?

OMIC has no policy provisions or underwriting guidelines that would prohibit an insured from performing televised services, but doing so could increase your liability exposure. We recommend that you carefully consider all aspects of the situation before deciding whether to participate in the event.

Whether the event is for training purposes (such as at an educational seminar) or for public viewing, you have the same duties and obligations to the patient as you would ordinarily have. You must conduct an independent evaluation of the patient to determine whether the patient is an appropriate candidate for the planned surgery. If the patient is not a suitable candidate, surgery should not be performed. Pressure from the program’s producers should not supersede your own good medical judgment. You must also conduct an appropriate informed consent discussion with the patient. Since at least a portion of the care will be broadcast, special consent issues, including disclosure of protected health information, may apply. Please contact OMIC’s Risk Management Department for advice. In addition, you must perform the patient’s postoperative care throughout the patient’s recovery period, refer the patient to a licensed ophthalmologist or other licensed physician as appropriate, or arrange for a portion of the outpatient postoperative care to be rendered by a non-physician provider who is clinically competent and lawfully able to provide that care. The patient’s informed consent for planned comanagement must be obtained prior to surgery.

Televised services could be construed as a form of advertising. OMIC has developed risk management materials to help explain the guidelines and liability risks associated with advertising and identify aspects that could be misleading or deceitful. 

If the surgery you plan to perform is refractive surgery, liposuction, full facelift for cosmetic purposes, or another procedure excluded under the standard policy, please check your Declarations or contact your underwriter to confirm that your policy has been endorsed to include coverage for such services. In addition, you will need to confirm that the surgery is performed within OMIC’s underwriting requirements for such procedure or any exceptions to the requirements granted in writing by us.

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Six reasons OMIC is the best choice for ophthalmologists in America.

Best at defending claims.

An ophthalmologist pays nearly half a million dollars in premiums over the course of a career. Premium paid is directly related to a carrier’s claims experience. OMIC has a higher win rate taking tough cases to trial, full consent to settle (no hammer) clause, and access to the best experts. OMIC pays 25% less per claim than other carriers. As a result, OMIC has consistently maintained lower base rates than multispecialty carriers in the U.S.

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