- Medical Students
- Doctor in Specialist Training
- Doctor in Training
- Intern and Final Year Student
By your side today, and into the future
This is your MDA National – your trusted partner for support in the moments that matter
As a doctor-owned organisation, we understand the challenges you may face during your studies and career ahead. No matter how big or small your concern, we can support you with outstanding expertise, compassion and understanding.
Why do you need your own cover?
As a doctor working in a public hospital, you will usually have access to indemnity cover through your employer or the state government, however this indemnity may not provide the broad cover you need.
Without your own indemnity cover, you could be liable to personally fund some medico-legal matters. It is important you have access to independent legal advice or a second opinion to protect your best interests.
Some of the issues we commonly assist with include:
- medical college training disputes
- medico-legal advice, including ethical dilemmas, police statements, confidentiality and privacy queries
- Ahpra health complaints or investigations
- employment disputes
- bullying and harassment
- coronial inquests
Reasons why doctors in specialist training called us for advice
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32%Advice/Ethical Dilemma |
12%Clinical Incident |
10%Employment Issues |
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9%Medico-legal Report |
7%Subpoena/Appearance in Court |
5%Confidentiality and Privacy |
How to choose the right Medical Defence Organisation (MDO)
We have prepared a guide on choosing the right medical defence organisation so you can focus on providing outstanding care at each stage of your career.
- Why do doctors need medical indemnity insurance?
- Why do you need your own cover?
- How to choose the best medical defence organisation for you
Why doctors in specialist training choose MDA National?
At MDA National, we understand the challenges you may face in medicine today and in your career ahead. We proactively support more than 60% of the country’s doctors in training* with competitive professional indemnity premiums, industry-leading education, career development, our Ambassador Program, and regular networking opportunities.
With MDA National you are a click or phone call away from industry-leading doctors, lawyers and medical defence experts – always responsive, always confidential, always on your side. Some of our Member benefits include:
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Comprehensive Professional Indemnity |
Expert medico-legal advice |
CPD learning tailored to your needs |
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Comprehensive cover for any medical board proceedings, coronial investigations and hospital enquiries (which aren’t covered by the state or your employer)
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On call 24/7 in emergencies, our medico-legal experts will help you through any emergency or issue, providing unbiased advice and support - including matching you with the best legal team for your situation | Gain invaluable insight on many important topics, such as applying for junior doctor positions, physical contact, patient communication and informed consent |
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Professional Development |
Career Development |
Health and Wellbeing |
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Upskill you in the key competencies of Leadership, Clinical Governance, and the 3 C’s of professional development: Communication, Culture & Collaboration
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To support you as you plan your career and prepare for medical officer interviews |
Provide you with a complimentary series of health and wellbeing webinars and facilitated group sessions, focusing on mental health and wellbeing |
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Special offers and discounts |
Medico-legal blog insights and news |
Unlimited locum billings |
| Enjoy exclusive Member deals on textbooks, food services and more. You can find out about all the latest offers at mdanational.com.au/Member-offers | Read online and receive email notification of the latest articles on topical medico-legal issues, such as changes to Medicare items, so you are well-informed for study and at work throughout the year | Unlimited billings for private practice while you are in training, so you’re covered wherever you work. Refer to the Policy Wording for full details of terms and conditions |
Not a Member?
Apply now for MDA National professional indemnity insurance, providing you with peace of mind and extensive cover.
What am I covered for?
Your extensive MDA National Professional Indemnity covers you for civil claims, employment disputes, representation at a coronial inquiry and a wide range of medico-legal matters.
The following table is a brief summary of covers and limits. The summary wording should not be relied on as a full description of cover. Please refer to the Policy Wording† for full details of terms and conditions:
We will...
| Aggregate Limit of Cover for all Claims* | |
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$20 million |
| We will... | Aggregate Sub-limits* |
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$2 million |
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$100,000 but for claims by you for unpaid remuneration we will not pay more than the amount reasonably sought by you |
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$100,000 (with Excess of $20,000) |
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$100,000 |
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$250,000 |
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$100,000 for Medical Practitioner |
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$20,000 (with a maximum of $2,000 per day for up to 10 days) |
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$100,000 |
*Provided that the Maximum Limit of Indemnity is not exceeded.
†A copy of the Policy Wording is available at mdanational.com.au/Downloads.
For more information please read our Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy Combined Financial Services Guide (FSG), Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Policy Wording and Supplementary FSG and PDS including Amendments to the Policy Wording from our Download Center.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) |
Have a question or need assistance? Contact your local Business Development representative or our Member Services team on 1800 011 255 from 8:30am to 8pm AEST Monday to Friday.
How much does membership and insurance normally cost with MDA National?
MDA National is committed to providing junior doctors with the support they need, starting with low membership and insurance premiums made possible by the broader MDA National membership. Our policy runs on a financial year basis from 1 July to 30 June. Please refer to the table below for our premium relating to your career stage:
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Professional Indemnity Premiums tailored to your career stage |
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| Post Graduate Years 2 and 3 | $50 |
| Post Graduate Year 4/5 (including those on an accredited training program) | $100 |
| Post Graduate Year 6+ and on an accredited training program or employed in an unaccredited registrar position | $150 |
| Starting in Private Practice | Reduced Premiums for your first four years in private practice - starting with a premium reduction of 80% in your first year. |
If you are a member of the AMA in Queensland or Western Australia you may be eligible for further reductions'. Find out more
For more information on our junior doctor categories and eligibility criteria, please refer to our Risk Category Guide available from our Download Centre.
These rates are effective 1 July 2023 includes Membership Subscription, Insurance Premiums, ROCS Support Payment and relevant taxes.
Am I covered for private locum work/surgical assisting?
Once you have a general AHPRA registration after completion of your internship, MDA National provides automatic cover for unlimited private locum work and surgical assisting, as long as you are undertaking the majority of your work in an employer indemnified position, or you are enrolled in and the majority of your practice is within your fellowship training program.
I’ve been advised I don’t have cover for public patients from my employer or hospital
Occasionally, you may find that you are not able to access State or employer indemnity for the treatment of public patients in public hospitals. Under such circumstances you may apply for an extension of cover under your Policy by completing the Treatment of Public Patients Form, available from our Download Centre or by contacting Member Services to discuss your individual circumstances.
Overseas Practice
If you intend on undertaking a fellowship, additional training, or volunteer practise overseas, MDA National can provide an extension of cover in certain situations for additional peace of mind and protection overseas.
For more information refer to page 9 of our Risk Category Guide in our download centre for our automatic inclusions and extensions to your cover.
Starting in private practice |
Support in Practice
As you progress through your specialist training working towards fellowship, you may be considering your options upon completion of your specialist training, such commencing in private specialist practice or opening your own consulting rooms or medical practice.
As a Member or Practice Indemnity Policy holder, our Support in Practice team are here to guide you through this process, so you can keep on focusing on providing outstanding patient care.
Our Support in Practice service is designed to support and assist practices in identifying and assessing risks within their practice environment and implementing simple strategies to mitigate those risks.
More Than Medical Indemnity
- 24-hour medico-legal advice– expertise and support when you need it most.
- Member Online Services– access your insurance documents at your convenience, update your details, access Member-only resources and online education.
- Practice Indemnity Policy– recommended in addition to your own professional indemnity policy, to protect your practice entity and practice staff.
- Accredited education– gain CPD (continuing professional development) points from our extensive suite of education, which we believe is unrivalled in Australian medical indemnity today.
- Support in Practice– personalised services to assist you in managing your professional risk.
- Starting In Private Practice– resources and guidance on starting in private practice, from billings and fees to advertising guidelines and the management of patient records.
- Part of your profession– doctors are an integral part of MDA National with key roles on our Mutual Board, our group and management committees, and on staff. Please contact us if you are interested in contributing to MDA National.
- Experienced medico-legal advisers and case managers – with broad medico-legal experience, and healthcare and legal qualifications.
- Industry events– in addition to hosting our own events, we participate in industry events across the country via sponsorship, and by providing education to the medical profession.
- Doctors for Doctors Program– confidential peer support during medico-legal matters, exempt from mandatory reporting.
- Professional Support Service– complimentary and confidential professional support from an independent psychiatrist, should you need it during a medico-legal matter.
- Defence Update– periodical publication and blog to keep you up-to-date with relevant practical medico-legal advice and case studies.
- Specialty Updates– supplements for key specialties to inform you of emerging risks and specialty specific medico-legal matters.
- Financial stability– responsible stewardship of Members’ funds. We manage all elements of a strong insurance business and invest in Member value by delivering quality support services.
- Up to 20% off medical publications, reference and text books.
- Corporate Social Responsibility– giving back to our community, including a Charity of Choice association with Beyondblue to help support doctors’ mental health.
- Local presence, national support with offices in NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA.
Hear what our Members have to say about the support and unwavering care they have received from MDA National
Resources
MDA National provides a range of relevant resources to help our Members minimise their medico-legal risk and continue practising with confidence.
Articles & case studies
- Physical examinations how to avoid misunderstandings
- Is there a doctor in the house
- Discharge against medical advice
- A doctor’s guide to police statements
- How to write a medico-legal report
- A case of suspension by social media
- Fines for advertising cannabis and other prescription medicines
- Death Certificates and when to say no
- When duty calls: responding in an emergency
Webpages
Videos / webinar recordings
- Risk hotspots for hospital specialists & how to respond when things go wrong webinar recording
- Protecting your practice from cyber strike webinar recording
- Protecting your provider number: when Medicare comes knocking webinar recording
- Avoiding medical marketing mistakes webinar recording
- DNA deliberations: tips for talking about direct-to-consumer tests webinar recording
- Systematic efforts to reduce harms due to prescribed opioids webinar recording (open access)
e-Learning activities
- The challenging emotions of difficult news
- Informed consent challenges
- Prescribing opioids
- Medico-legal CPD quizzes
- Surgeons' risk self-assessments
- Noteworthy: the how, what, where and why of medical documentation
Other resources
- Head over to the MDA National library to see our full suite of articles, blog posts, webinars and podcasts.
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Resources |
MDA National provides a range of relevant resources to help our Members minimise their medico-legal risk and continue practising with confidence.
Articles & case studies
- Physical examinations how to avoid misunderstandings
- Is there a doctor in the house
- Discharge against medical advice
- A doctor’s guide to police statements
- How to write a medico-legal report
- A case of suspension by social media
- Fines for advertising cannabis and other prescription medicines
- Death Certificates and when to say no
- When duty calls: responding in an emergency
Webpages
Videos / webinar recordings
- Risk hotspots for hospital specialists & how to respond when things go wrong webinar recording
- Protecting your practice from cyber strike webinar recording
- Protecting your provider number: when Medicare comes knocking webinar recording
- Avoiding medical marketing mistakes webinar recording
- DNA deliberations: tips for talking about direct-to-consumer tests webinar recording
- Systematic efforts to reduce harms due to prescribed opioids webinar recording (open access)
e-Learning activities
- The challenging emotions of difficult news
- Informed consent challenges
- Prescribing opioids
- Medico-legal CPD quizzes
- Surgeons' risk self-assessments
- Noteworthy: the how, what, where and why of medical documentation
Other resources
- Head over to the MDA National library to see our full suite of articles, blog posts, webinars and podcasts.
Have you downloaded MDA National mobile app?
Downloading the app is easy. Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for MDA National. Log into the app using your email address or Member Number and the password you use to access your MDA National Online Services account. FAQs for your reference
Stay connected with medico-legal updates sent to your inbox
Subscribe to our medico-legal blog at the bottom of this page so you can stay up to date with the latest medico-legal updates and best practice advice, relevant to the medical profession.
