Which type of malpractice insurance covers incidents that occur during the policy period regardless of when the claim is reported?

• A. Occurrence
• B. Claims-made
• C. Tail coverage
• D. Umbrella

Answer: (A)

When thinking about malpractice insurance, the key idea is how coverage is triggered. An occurrence policy covers claims based on when the negligent act occurred, not when the claim is filed. So if the incident happened during the policy period, the policy that was in force at that time will handle the claim, even if the report comes years later. This means you’re protected for events that happened while the policy was active, regardless of when the claim is ultimately made.

In contrast, a claims-made policy only covers claims that are reported during the period the policy is in effect (or within a negotiated tail after termination). Tail coverage extends that reporting window, but it doesn’t change the fact that the claim must be reported within the appropriate window. An umbrella policy adds extra limits on top of underlying coverage but doesn’t change the fundamental timing trigger of the underlying policy.

So the type that best fits “incidents occurring during the policy period are covered regardless of when the claim is reported” is the occurrence-based policy.