Tail Coverage in Physician Employment Agreements: What Every Indiana Physician Needs to Know
Accredited for 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
12 – 1 p.m. ET
Members: FREE
Nonmembers: $75
Registration required.
Program description:
This program provides physicians with a practical, real-world understanding of professional liability insurance and the critical role tail coverage plays in protecting their careers. Participants will learn to distinguish between claims-made and occurrence-based policies, including why tail coverage is essential when coverage ends under a claims-made policy.
The session will also explore how Indiana’s Medical Malpractice Act and the Patient’s Compensation Fund intersect with tail coverage requirements, highlighting the risks and consequences of failing to maintain qualified provider status.
Finally, the program will equip physicians with practical negotiation strategies to secure more favorable terms, including alternatives like nose coverage and the importance of clearly defining “cause” in termination clauses.
Objectives:
At the end of this live webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Distinguish between claims-made and occurrence-based professional liability insurance policies and explain why tail coverage is necessary under a claims-made policy.
- Describe how Indiana's Medical Malpractice Act and the Patient's Compensation Fund interact with tail coverage requirements, including the consequences of failing to maintain qualified provider status.
- Identify key contract provisions related to tail coverage in physician employment agreements, including allocation of fiscal responsibility, termination-based triggers, and graduated vesting schedules.
- Apply practical negotiation strategies to secure favorable tail coverage terms, including the use of nose coverage as an alternative and the importance of narrowly defining "cause" in termination provisions.
Speaker:
Eric Speer, Associate
Barnes & Thornburg
About the speaker:
Eric Speer is an associate in the Healthcare Department at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, where he represents clients in complex healthcare transactions. His practice centers on advising health systems, physician practices, and businesses on regulatory and commercial matters, and guiding clients through the entire transaction lifecycle, from initial due diligence to closing. Eric provides strategic counsel on regulatory compliance and resolves critical issues that arise in healthcare-focused deals.
Prior to joining Barnes & Thornburg, Eric began his legal career at Hall Render, one of the nation's largest health law firms. Before entering private practice, he served as a consultant at a leading management consulting firm specializing in M&A transactions and IT due diligence, where he helped lead major organizations through operational and technology transformations and conducted business process analyses for large-scale transactions.
CME INFORMATION
Designation Statement: The Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA) designates this live webinar for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Accreditation Statement: The Indiana State Medical Association (ISMA) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Disclosure Policy: In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, educational programs sponsored by the ISMA must demonstrate balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor. Prior to the activity, all faculty, authors, editors and planning committee members participating in an ISMA-sponsored activity are required to disclose to attendees any relevant financial relationships with an “ineligible company” whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Disclosure Statement: No member of the CME Planning Committee or our speaker have any relevant financial relationships to disclose.
If you have questions, contact ISMA Continuing Medical Education staff at 800-257-4762 or seminars@ismanet.org.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: May 26 at 11:30 a.m. ET