How to Get Your Loss Runs (and Why Every Malpractice Submission Needs Them)

Malpractice loss runs are the insurer’s official record of your claims history, and you obtain them by sending a written request to every current and prior carrier that insured you during the required period. Underwriters use these documents to verify claims, payments, policy periods, and loss dates before offering malpractice insurance terms.

If you are approaching renewal, changing carriers, responding to a non-renewal, or seeking coverage after a claim, request your loss runs immediately. Missing or incomplete loss runs are among the most common reasons a malpractice submission stalls.

What are malpractice loss runs?

A malpractice loss run is an official report from an insurer summarizing the insured’s claims history with that company. It is different from a physician’s personal recollection, claim narrative, court record, or National Practitioner Data Bank report.

Under Florida Statutes § 626.9202, a loss run statement includes:

• The policy number
• The period of coverage
• The number of claims
• Paid losses on claims
• The date of each loss

A carrier’s report may provide additional information, including:

• Claimant or patient identifiers
• Date the claim was reported
• Open or closed status
• Brief allegation descriptions
• Indemnity payments
• Defense expenses
• Open reserves when the carrier provides them

Florida law does not require an insurer to include loss-reserve information in the statutory loss run statement. An underwriter may therefore request supplemental claim information when an open matter appears on the report.

Source: Florida Statutes § 626.9202.

Why do malpractice underwriters require loss runs?

Underwriters require loss runs because they need carrier-verified claims information to evaluate the physician’s future risk and confirm the accuracy of the application. An application alone is not sufficient when a physician reports prior claims or has changed carriers.

The underwriter may evaluate:

• The number of claims
• How closely the claims occurred together
• The age of the most recent claim
• Whether claims remain open
• The amount paid
• The severity of the allegations
• Whether similar allegations appear repeatedly
• Whether the practice changed after the event

A physician with one older claim and a strong subsequent history may be viewed differently from a physician with several recent claims involving similar allegations.

Missing reports create uncertainty. When an underwriter cannot verify the history, the carrier may postpone the quote, require additional documentation, offer restricted terms, or decline to proceed.

Learn more about underwriting in our guide to medical malpractice insurance for physicians with prior claims.

How far back do malpractice loss runs need to go?

Many malpractice underwriters request five to ten years of loss history, although the required period varies by carrier, specialty, claims history, and application. You may need reports from every insurer that covered you during that period—not only your current carrier.

Florida’s loss-run statute generally requires an insurer to provide its claims history for the preceding five years or, if the insurer covered the applicant for less than five years, the complete claims history with that insurer.

That does not prevent an underwriter from requesting a longer combined history. For example, a physician who changed carriers three times during the last ten years may need separate reports from all three companies.

Request reports from:

• Your current malpractice carrier
• Every prior malpractice carrier within the requested period
• Any employer-sponsored carrier that insured your individual professional services
• Any locum-tenens or staffing program under which you were individually covered
• Any separate entity policy if the practice itself is being quoted

How do I request my malpractice loss runs?

Send a written request to the carrier’s designated loss-run, claims, underwriting, or policy-service department and clearly identify every policy period you need. Copy your current or former insurance agent when appropriate, but do not assume the agent’s internal record replaces the carrier-issued document.

1. Identify every carrier. Review prior policies, certificates, invoices, credentialing records, and employment documents.
2. Locate the correct department. Contact policy services, claims services, underwriting, or the carrier’s designated loss-run unit.
3. Submit the request in writing. Email is usually the fastest method and creates a timestamped record.
4. Specify the complete period. Request all policies and claims history for the required five-to-ten-year period.
5. Include identifying information. Provide your full name, practice name, policy numbers when available, contact information, and requested delivery email.
6. Request valuation close to the submission date. Some underwriters require loss runs valued within 30, 60, or 90 days.
7. Follow up in writing. Keep documentation showing when the request was received.

Loss-run request email template

Subject: Request for Medical Malpractice Loss Run Statement

Please provide my currently valued medical malpractice loss run statement for all policies and coverage periods from [START DATE] through [END DATE].

Please include the policy numbers, coverage periods, claim dates, paid losses, claim status, and any other available loss information. If possible, please include the current valuation date on the report.

Insured physician: [FULL LEGAL NAME]
Practice or entity: [PRACTICE NAME]
Policy number or numbers: [POLICY NUMBERS]
Delivery email: [EMAIL ADDRESS]

Please confirm receipt of this request and advise if you require written authorization or any additional information.

How long does a Florida insurer have to provide loss runs?

Florida law generally requires an insurer to provide a requested loss run statement within 15 calendar days after the insurer’s designated recipient receives the insured’s written request. The report may be sent electronically or made available through an electronic portal.

Florida law also generally prohibits an insurer from charging a fee for preparing and providing one qualifying loss run statement annually.

The 15-day rule is valuable, but physicians should still request reports early. Delays can occur when:

• The request is sent to the wrong department
• The physician’s name changed
• The practice operated under multiple entities
• The policy was employer-sponsored
• A prior insurer entered receivership
• The carrier requires a signed authorization
• Policy numbers are missing

Do not wait until the week before renewal. Begin gathering reports 60 to 90 days before the effective date whenever possible.

Can my former broker obtain the loss runs for me?

A current or former broker may help request the reports, but the loss runs ultimately need to come from the insurer or an authorized representative providing them on the insurer’s behalf. Florida law permits a surplus lines agent to provide a loss run statement on behalf of the insurer.

If the former broker is unresponsive, contact the carrier directly. Include a signed authorization if the carrier requires one.

Maintain your own copies after receiving them. A physician should not have to reconstruct an entire claims history every time the practice changes brokers.

What if there are gaps in my loss-run history?

Address every missing period before submitting the application, or explain the gap clearly and document your attempts to obtain the report. An unexplained gap may cause the underwriter to suspect undisclosed claims or a lapse in coverage.

If you cannot remember the carrier

Search old declaration pages, certificates of insurance, hospital credentialing files, accounting records, employment files, email archives, and premium invoices.

If an employer provided the coverage

Contact the former employer’s risk-management, credentialing, human-resources, or legal department. Ask whether you were individually scheduled on the policy and request proof of coverage and applicable claims history.

If the insurer no longer operates

Contact the applicable state insurance department or receivership office. A guaranty association, receiver, successor administrator, or record custodian may hold the policy and claims records.

If the carrier reports no claims

Ask for a formal “no known losses” or “no claims” report rather than relying on an informal email. Underwriters generally prefer a document identifying the physician, policy periods, and valuation date.

What should I do if a loss run contains an error?

Report the discrepancy to the issuing carrier immediately and request a corrected statement or written explanation. Do not alter the carrier’s document yourself.

Common discrepancies include:

• A closed claim incorrectly shown as open
• An incorrect payment amount
• A claim attributed to the wrong provider
• Missing policy periods
• Duplicate claims
• An inaccurate incident date

If the carrier cannot correct the report before the submission deadline, provide the original loss run, documentation of the disputed information, and a concise written explanation. Transparency is safer than omitting the report.

What should I submit with my loss runs?

Submit a short, factual claim narrative for every significant claim or suit shown on the loss runs. The narrative provides context that the carrier-generated report usually cannot supply.

A strong narrative should explain:

• When the underlying care occurred
• The nature of the allegation
• Your involvement in the patient’s care
• The current status or final outcome
• The amount paid, if known
• Whether the matter produced board action
• What changed in the practice afterward

Keep the narrative factual and consistent with the legal and carrier records. Avoid attacking the patient, plaintiff’s attorney, prior insurer, hospital, or other provider.

For additional guidance, read how malpractice coverage is placed after a claim.

When should I request loss runs after a non-renewal?

Request the reports immediately after receiving a non-renewal notice—even if the expiration date is several weeks away. A replacement carrier may not provide formal terms until it receives complete, currently valued loss runs.

Physicians facing a renewal problem should also review our guide to what to do after a malpractice insurance non-renewal.

How can Island Insurance Group help after I receive my loss runs?

Island Insurance Group can use the loss runs, application, current policy, and claim narratives to approach appropriate medical malpractice markets. The available options depend on specialty, procedures, location, requested limits, claims history, disciplinary history, and carrier underwriting.

Visit IslandInsuranceGroup.com for medical malpractice insurance guidance and related physician resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a malpractice loss run?

A malpractice loss run is the insurer’s official report of an insured physician’s claims history with that company. It typically identifies policy periods, claim dates, paid losses, and the number of claims.

How far back do I need malpractice loss runs?

Many underwriters request five to ten years of combined loss history. Florida insurers generally must provide their preceding five years of claims history or the complete history if they insured the applicant for less than five years.

How do I get loss runs from a former carrier?

Send a written request to the former carrier identifying the physician, policy numbers when available, all requested policy periods, and the email address where the report should be delivered.

How long do Florida malpractice loss runs take?

Florida law generally requires the insurer to provide the statement within 15 calendar days after its designated recipient receives the insured’s written request.

Are Florida insurers required to include open reserves?

No. Florida Statutes § 626.9202 states that an insurer is not required to provide loss-reserve information. An underwriter may request supplemental information about open claims.

Reviewed by the Island Insurance Group licensed insurance team.