Acute Care

Hospitals, clinics, and other acute care facilities are on the front lines in managing health risks and many daily challenges. Marsh’s dedicated HealthCare Practice helps these organisations mitigate their exposures so they can remain focused on their critical mission.

When illness or injury suddenly disrupts lives, acute care is where response and recovery begin. Hospitals, urgent care clinics, and other provider organisations are critical to maintaining public health, yet they face numerous risks themselves.

Acute care organisations face multiple ongoing exposures, from professional and management liability, to cyber and emerging technology risks, to property damage, to changing workforce dynamics. All of these are being managed against a backdrop of budgetary pressures, regulatory compliance demands, and stakeholder scrutiny.

And while the healthcare industry's very mission is to care for the ill, the global pandemic tested acute care as never before, putting extreme stress on physicians, nurses, and support staff. Shortages of protective medical equipment and restrictions that disrupted manufacturing and transportation strained healthcare supply chains to the breaking point.

The evolution of care and the dynamic nature of the industry mean that your risk profile is ever-changing. Our team of experienced healthcare risk management specialists can help acute care organisations navigate present challenges and prepare for new risks as they emerge.

Digital cyberspace with particles and Digital data network connections concept.

Cyber Insurance

Innovative insurance brokerage services and tools can help companies effectively transfer cyber risk.

Workers' Compensation

07/29/2021

Workers’ compensation insurance provides coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, and more in the event of an on-the-job injury or death. As it’s required in most US states, and can be a major expense, companies can turn to Marsh for innovative solutions.

Hospital, teamwork and doctor with folder, conversation and brainstorming for healthcare and administration. Medical, leader and senior professional with group and meeting with documents and clinic.

Article

Vicarious liability: Risk and insurance considerations for healthcare providers using agency staff

17/07/2024

Portrait of an african young nurse helping old elderly disable man grandfather to walk using walker equipment in the bedroom. Senior patient of nursing home moving with walking frame and nurse support

Article

Aged care insurance market update Q3 2022

31/10/2022

Elderly female holding hand of young caregiver at nursing home.

Article

Aged care insurance market update

20/07/2022

3d illustration of molecule model. Science background with molecules and atoms

Video

Healthcare industry risk issue series — Mergers and acquisitions

08/11/2021

FAQ's

Acute care is a varied segment of the healthcare industry and includes:

Hospitals, including general, psychiatric, specialised, and rehabilitation hospitals.
Ambulatory care facilities, such as walk-in and urgent care clinics.

The goal of acute care is to provide medical treatment that assists patients in recuperation, rehabilitation, and management of symptoms. The diverse nature of injuries and illnesses with sudden onset and that can lead to severe conditions requires a similarly broad set of acute care services and care settings as well as risk management strategies.

Risks in acute care settings vary, but the most significant typically include liability for patient safety, property damage, workers’ compensation/employers liability, regulatory compliance, and data privacy. Acute care providers across many specialties face exposure to lawsuits alleging medical malpractice. In addition, damage to sophisticated diagnostic systems and equipment can disrupt the delivery of acute care services. Healthcare is also a people-intensive business, with caregivers being at risk of personal injury, making workers’ compensation a major exposure.

The growing use of electronic medical records and stringent regulations regarding protected health information mean that cyber incidents and data privacy breaches pose serious risks for all healthcare organisations.

Underpinning these risks is an ongoing transformation in the healthcare reimbursement system to value-based care from the traditional fee-for-service model. This transformation is shifting financial risk for patient outcomes to healthcare providers, a process that is likely to introduce additional exposures as organisations adapt to the new payment environment.

Every acute care organisation differs in its risk management needs and the way it approaches risk transfer, but some common forms of insurance that help mitigate risks in healthcare settings include:

Cyber liability
Directors and officers liability (D&O)
Employment practices liability
General liability
Healthcare professional liability
Property
Workers’ compensation

Marsh’s risk specialists are committed to helping acute care organisations manage their total cost of risk, with data-driven insights using powerful analytics, to continue to meet the healthcare needs of the communities they serve.

Acute Care