Dr Kasturi Maniam, Managing Director, Doctor Shield

Healthcare professionals often have to find time to meet two to three insurance agents in their clinics to listen to their pitch, and then do the arduous comparisons of the benefits, limitations, terms, and conditions before purchasing their professional indemnity insurance. And, given their busy schedule, it is possible to miss out on one or two key provisions. Sadly, only when it comes to claims, a lot of doctors find out the lapses in their comparison exercise.

Cognizant of this fact, Doctor Shield was founded to address this issue. Born as a collaborative effort of Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property &casualty insurance company, and JA, a leader in the insurtech space with many “World’s Firsts” offering, Doctor Shield offers a hassle-free process where doctors can select and secure their professional indemnity insurance coverage online with just a few clicks. Being the world’s first complete online professional medical indemnity insurance platform, it makes it easier for medical professionals in Malaysia to protect their practice while giving their patients the best medical care possible.

“Along this journey, we found that we have not only saved doctors a lot of time, but have also made the entire industry more competitive – as others have had to follow suit with our competitiveness, transparency, and technological advancement, or be left out,” asserts Dr. Kasturi Maniam Nair, the managing director of Doctor Shield.

Delivering a Transparent Insurance Platform

Determined to be transparent about the benefits, limitations, and premiums calculations, the pioneering company provides a transparent insurance platform that allows medical practitioners to find the right insurance along with very efficient renewals, servicing, and claims handling.

Currently, it offers professional indemnity for not just doctors, but clinics as well. Its unique benefits include allowing doctors to choose their own defense lawyers, the coverage that includes aggravated damages, unlimited runoff, unlimited retro activate date, 3rd party cyber coverage, and loss mitigation.

“Doctor Shield prides itself on being a pro in mediation and pro-settlement insurance scheme. Our ultimate goal is to protect doctors, helping them return to work as quickly as possible, without getting entangled in long and endless legal battles,” opines Dr. Kasturi Maniam Nair.

Taking Insurance Sector to the Digital Era

Despite the rapid digitization of the insurance sector, a small number of elderly doctors aren’t yet comfortable with the online purchase of insurance. Thus, as a trusted partner, the company guides them through the process with a live video call. With Doctor Shield, today, more and more doctors are getting used to the idea of remote meetings and more confident with online insurance purchases.

“Doctor Shield is positioned as a competitive, comprehensive, and convenient solution for doctors to be protected. Particularly as we are an online business, we have worked very hard to reduce any ambiguities that may have been present in complex insurance schemes. We would not want to disappoint a doctor in the unlikely event of a claim which is why we take extra caution and care with what we promise, and work towards satisfactory servicing,” elucidates Dr. Kasturi Maniam Nair.

Following Customer-Oriented Approach

Although the company has automated the entire process of quotation – from policy issuance to renewal to claims notification to improve efficiency– it makes it a point for its consultants to be in touch with its clients. At every opportunity, it makes sure there is a human “touch” ready to understand and to help when needed.

“From the top-down, we are client-centric. And consequently, we take feedback seriously. We are not afraid to be challenged (even by ourselves) so we can improve our service. We believe in being nimble enough to react and regroup according to the situation or need,” affirms Dr. Kasturi Maniam Nair.

The customer-centric company is dedicated to solving the needs of its clients, and this objective has, in turn, shaped its entire outlook and culture. It understands the pain of its customers when it comes to choosing the right insurance solution provider by manually filling up proposal forms, waiting for an insurer to return a quote, waiting for/expecting the insurer to renew policies, or waiting for/anticipating a lawyer to be assigned and engaged in the event of a claim. Thus, it has been relentlessly working to solve these problems and aims to continue working towards this goal while making the journey even better.

Aspires to Further Enhance Its Platform

Currently, the company is rolling out complementary insurance solutions for doctors, such as insuring their clinic properties and cyber risk. Within the next 24 months, it plans to further expand its platform to extend its footprint to most other ASEAN countries.

Delineating the upcoming endeavors of Doctor Shield, Dr. Kasturi Maniam Nair adds, “Our immediate next task is to allow for mediation onboard our platform. With that innovation, doctors will have quicker closure with claims matters. It can be a traumatizing period for doctors who come under a negligence claim and it’s important that we get them the support they need most and do it on time.”