In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, facilities and physician are offering visits and providing consultation via Telehealth. Telehealth specifically applies to video interactions and the interchange of data via Facetime, Skype, Zoom, etc. It does not apply to strictly telephonic (audio only) conversations or consultations. In audio-only situations, providers are dispensing medical advice, not Telehealth as it is defined in California. Important to consider from a risk perspective is – where is the provider located and where is the patient located. If they are not in California, reach out to your BETA Risk Manager or Underwriter for information and guidance.

Physicians are moving from the ED to inpatient settings as well as retired physicians coming out of retirement to volunteer during this COVID-19 situation. For volunteering physicians, is their license active? Do they plan to assist for more than 5 days? If planning to volunteer for more than 5 days, contact your broker or BETA to ensure that medical malpractice coverage is extended (coverage is available for up to 30 days due to the state of emergency and can be added on a case-by-case basis).

Facilities are moving to share space (and sometimes resources). If a facility is considering such an arrangement, key risk considerations revolve around how much is going to be shared? It is just the space itself?  Are personnel going to be shared? Is the space to house COVID-19 patients or are there other patients too? Who is staffing and how are they trained? Reach out to your BETA Risk Manager for information and guidance specific to your particular situation.