Virtual Care / Telepractice and Professional Liability Insurance

 

Does OSOT's professional liability insurance cover me for providing virtual services (telephone or web-based)?

Webinar: How Can OTs Manage the Risks Associated With Virtual Care?

Jurisdiction

If a client lives outside of Ontario, an OTs must consider the legislation, standards and guidelines for providing practice/telepractice services within the client’s jurisdiction. This may require registration (temporary or permanent) in that jurisdiction and so you can find information on COTO’s website regarding practising outside Ontario. We also recommend that you review COTO’s Guidelines on Telepractice as they cover the considerations mentioned above which an OT needs to know.

Professional Liability Insurance

Your professional liability insurance policy will cover practice/telepractice when you are dealing with clients who are permanent residents of Canada. If a Canadian citizen is temporarily living outside of Canada (i.e. snowbirds), the policy would still cover a telepractice situation but lawsuits would have to be brought against you in a Canadian court for the policy to cover you. If your client was a resident of another country, the policy would only cover you if they brought legal action against you in a Canadian court.

If you have clients who are residents of other countries and you wanted coverage in those jurisdictions (to ensure you had coverage in the event a lawsuit was brought against you in that jurisdiction), you could speak with our insurance administrator, PROLINK (1-800-663-6828), who could assist you in potentially obtaining coverage for those jurisdictions.

Note: If you are not registered to practice in a jurisdiction that requires it, your professional liability insurance will not cover you, even if the lawsuit is brought against you in a Canadian court.