Frequently Asked Questions

Individual Professionals: Apply for a New Policy

Click here to receive an instant quote and apply for coverage.

Individual Professionals: Renew Your Existing Policy

MY ACCOUNT

1. Log into your customer portal account to renew your existing CPH Malpractice Insurance policy.
2. Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
3. Once in the portal, click the green Renew my Policy button in the upper left-hand corner. This will direct you to the new CPH online application.
4. Once your application and payment information have been approved, a copy of your policy documents will be automatically emailed to you.

Business Entities: Apply for a New Policy

Click here to apply online.

Business Entities: Renew Your Existing Policy

Renew online through your customer portal. 

No, we do not accept applications over the phone. Every application must be completed in full and signed by the insured. Applications may be submitted online or via mail or fax.

Normal processing time for applications is 1-2 business days after the application has been received in our office. Once processed, your documents are sent immediately via email (or mail, if you do not provide an email address).

Applications submitted online will result in a confirmation page with links to your documents. In addition, the documents are automatically emailed to you.

You can also pull up copies of your most current policy documents anytime through our customer portal.

Log into your customer portal account to retrieve your proof of coverage or other policy documents:

MY ACCOUNT

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to My Documents to retrieve your proof of coverage (certificate of insurance) or other policy documents

Normal processing time for applications is 1-2 business days after the application has been received in our office. Once processed, your documents are sent immediately via email (or mail, if you do not provide an email address).

You may also download your documents through our customer portal.

Log into your customer portal account to retrieve your proof of coverage or other policy documents:

MY ACCOUNT

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to My Documents to retrieve your proof of coverage (certificate of insurance) or other policy documents

Credentialing agencies may also contact us directly to verify that you have coverage.

Yes, applications are considered incomplete without payments in full. Payment is made at one time each year, in the form of one single payment. Payment may be made by check, money order or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover). Policy documents will be issued once payment is made.

New applicants may request an effective date as soon as the date the application is received in our office and up to 75 days into the future. Effective dates cannot be backdated. If you do not select a “desired effective date,” we will default to the date the application was received.

Renewals become effective the date the current policy expires. Customers may renew no earlier than 75 days prior to their expiration date.

An Additional Insured is usually your landlord (someone you hold a lease with), an employer, board members, or an agency you contract with. Adding them to your policy gives that entity protection (an identical set of limits of liability) under your policy. These limits will be used in the event that they are sued for a Professional Incident that arises from services that YOU provide while under contract with them.

NOTE: A business partner, employee, sublessor, intern you are supervising, or a corporation that you own CANNOT be added as Additional Insureds. These cases may require that each individual take out their own coverage or that a group/corporate policy be started. In no way will the policy cover Professional Incidents that arise out of acts, errors, or omissions made by the Additional Insured entity.

If you have recently (within the last 24 months) been licensed or certified for the first time* as a mental health professional, or if you have taken a continuing education course**, you may qualify for discounts. See the application for more detailed instructions.

NOTE: If you are considered Category D or E (Student, Post-master’s/Intern under supervision, Post-Doctoral under supervision, Psych. Assistant/Associate, or if you are required by your state to practice under supervision), you do NOT qualify for ANY discounts.

*You do not qualify for any Newly-Licensed discounts if you have held a previous license or certification in any state and/or if you have possessed the credentials (required by your state) to practice unsupervised for more than 24 months, if your state does not require licensure or certification to practice unsupervised, or if your state has just recently passed licensure laws where licensure was not previously available or required. The key here is that this discount is meant for new professionals, not people who have recently become licensed due to changes in state law or who elected to get a higher level of licensure than the minimum required to practice in your state.

This administration fee is implemented to ease the rising expenses of administration services and technology improvements. This fee enables us to continue to offer our insureds the superior services our customers have come to expect from CPH Insurance.

Categories A, B, and C are for professionals with full credentials (licensed, registered, or certified by your state). Category D is for students in practicum. Category E is for Post-Master’s or Post-Doctoral individuals who are NOT yet fully-licensed and are required to be supervised as they complete hours toward a license.

ALL categories cover an unlimited amount of EMPLOYED work, meaning work where you are a W-2 employee and have taxes taken from a paycheck. Do not factor these hours into making any distinctions between categories.

In order to choose among the 3 categories for fully licensed or certified professionals (categories A, B, and C), choose your category based on the average number of hours you work a week as a SELF-EMPLOYED therapist (NO taxes taken out of your paycheck).

Special Cases: LEP, School Psych, and Psych Assistant/Associate are Category E.

For Professional Liability coverage, we only keep one address for you on file, and this is your mailing address. Your Professional Liability coverage is portable, meaning that you are covered for practice no matter what physical address you are using for counseling, provided that you are practicing under the scope of your licensure and within the U.S. To change your mailing address online, click here.

If you have purchased Commercial General Liability coverage, you must provide us with the physical premises address of each primary location you have insured. You are not required to provide us with the address of locations where you practice on a temporary or very limited basis UNLESS you have requested a certificate of insurance naming such locations as “Insured locations.”

Coverage only extends to practice within U.S. states or territories. You are required to provide a mailing address within the continental U.S., Alaska or Hawaii. Military personnel must provide an alternate mailing address—we cannot accept APO addresses as your mailing address.

DBA is an abbreviation for “Doing Business As”. This section should be completed only when you operate as an individual or partner under a registered fictitious trade name (example: ABC Therapy Group) Certificates of insurance would be issued to the individual using the business name ABC Therapy Group.

If you are incorporated this is not a DBA. In order to cover your corporate entity, you need to complete a Group Entity application. These applications are available for downloading from this website.

The general rule is that as long as both licenses types fit the profile of what we normally insure, you pay the higher premium of the 2 licenses (e.g. if you are a clinical psychologist and an MFT, you would pay the psychologist rate), but there is no additional charge to cover the second license. However, if the additional occupation requested is irregular and does not appear in the list of insurable occupations on our homepage, or if you are requesting that we cover additional services provided (such as mediation, biofeedback, or hypnotherapy) that are considered to fall outside of the normal scope of your licensure, there will be a charge for an additional 10% of your premium for adding the additional occupation/set of services.

If you would like coverage for more than one license or additional services provided outside the scope of your primary license, that can be done so with your online or paper application. If you already have a policy, additional occupations can be added online in your customer portal.

*Additional occupations are subject to underwriter approval.

CPH TOP is an optional enhancement that will add the following coverage to your professional liability policy:

GENERAL LIABILITY COVERAGE. Also known as “Slip and Fall,” or “Premises Liability”, coverage. This coverage also includes:

• Bodily Injury & Property Damage Liability
• Host Liquor Liability
• Personal Liability
• $250,000 for Fire & Water Legal Liability (damage to the rented premises)

$15,000 PROPERTY COVERAGE, which covers damage to your property and property of others that is in your care, custody or control. This coverage also includes:

• $25,000 Identity Theft Expense
• $25,000 Emergency Real Estate Consulting Fee
• $25,000 Temporary Meeting Space Reimbursement
• $25,000 Workplace Violence Counseling
• $25,000 Image Restoration and Counseling
• And more…

This coverage was added to our program due to high demand from our many policyholders. We created this enhancement specifically to meet the needs of the mental health practitioner with a small office. Property coverage is currently unavailable in Florida.

Law and ethics, HIPAA. A minimum of 4 CEU’s completed within 24 months prior to your policy effective date is required unless you can demonstrate that your state requires a lesser number of CEU’s to fulfill re-licensing requirements for either Law, Ethics, or HIPAA.

If you are not sure if the course you have taken fulfills your state requirements, contact the course administrator or your licensing board. Typically, the course must include the words “Law,” “Ethics,” or “HIPAA” in its title to qualify for our discount.

If you are an intern/post-master’s AND you are required by your state to complete a number of supervised hours towards a license, you are eligible for the “Intern” rate. If you are currently insured and originally applied under student or trainee status, you must upgrade your policy to reflect your new employment status.

After you have completed your intern hours and receive your full state licensure or certification, you may be eligible for the 50% savings the first year off of your professional rate at the time of your next renewal. This rule is subject to review based on the state you live in.

Faculty members are automatically covered for claims arising out of incidents while supervising and instructing students insured under the provisions and within the limits of the student blanket policy and there is no additional premium charge for this coverage.

Yes, the school may also be covered. When a lawsuit results from a student’s action, the school will often be named in the suit. This policy will provide coverage for the school when it is named in the same claim or suit for damages for which a student and /or faculty member insured under the policy is also named, however, it will not provide coverage for a claim or suit if the school is solely named.

“Individual Student” applications are for ONE student to take out their own individual policy. “Student Blanket” applications are for universities taking out coverage for multiple students. Currently, Student Blanket group policies cannot be purchased online. To request a Student Blanket application, please email our office at groupapps@cphins.com.

Generally speaking, students can add supervisors or agencies where they are doing practicum. Students may not add landlords as Additional Insureds. All other cases are subject to review.

If you are a member of a professional association such as AAMFT, CAMFT, AMHCA or ACA, we recommend to first always call your professional association. Many of them have attorneys on staff and can provide legal and ethical guidance as well as share with you valuable practical experience they have gathered from other members who may have experienced similar dilemmas. Do not underestimate the value of your professional association as a practical resource and advocate on your behalf!

If you are a current policyholder in our Allied/Mental Health program, you can also call CPH Insurance at 800-875-1911. Depending on the nature of your question, we may be able to set up a phone appointment with an attorney with our “Avoiding Liability Helpline.” “Helpline” calls are limited to 2 hours per policy year.

Please visit our Legal Resources page for more information about resources available to our policyholders.

First, determine whether or not you were insured with CPH Insurance at the time of the incident or treatment that led to the complaint or claim. You must have been insured with CPH Insurance at the time of the incident in order for coverage under this policy to apply.

Log into your customer portal account to report a claim:

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to Report a Claim to complete an Initial Incident Report or Subpoena Notification Form
• If you electronically report your claim, it will be automatically sent to CPH
• If you choose to print the PDF form and manually submit it to CPH, you can scan and email the form to claims@cphins.com or fax to 312-987-0902

*These forms are used not only to notify us in the event of a situation that may lead (or has led) to a claim or suit but also to collect other policy benefits such as reimbursement for deposition expenses or licensing board investigation expenses.

Save time — renew online! Individuals may renew online up to 120 days prior to your policy expiration date.

Printed renewal notices are automatically mailed out to all customers at least 60 days prior to the date your policy expires. These notices are mailed to the address on file. If your mailing address changes, it is your responsibility to notify us in writing of your new mailing address. CPH Insurance is not responsible for renewal notices that are returned to our office as a result of incorrect mailing addresses.

Your policy will expire on the expiration date if the completed application and full valid payment have not been received by our office as of that date. Any “grace period” beyond the expiration date that is extended to an Insured for processing of the renewal application is done so as a courtesy and on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the underwriter. Any such “grace period” shall not extend beyond 30 days after the policy expiration date, and should you fail to complete the renewal process by the end of the “grace period,” the policy will expire on the previously designated policy expiration date. “Grace period” eligibility will be determined upon review of your completed renewal application by an underwriter. Any representations made to you by a customer service representative regarding potential eligibility for a “grace period” will not bind CPH Insurance to any obligation to award such a “grace period” if upon review of your file we determine you are ineligible.

NOTE: If circumstances require that you answer “yes” to any of the qualification questions on the renewal application, you will not be eligible for such a grace period, and the policy will expire on the designated expiration date if the application process has not been completed as of that date.

No, in most cases you do not need to fill out a new application or take out a new policy. Usually, you can change your policy to fit your needs. If you fill out a new application instead of upgrading, you may actually overpay for your policy or end up with duplicate coverage. Instead, send us a request in writing to change your policy (see the next question for more detailed information).

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make policy changes online, click here!

If you have become licensed during the current policy year and are upgrading your coverage, you will not receive the newly-licensed discount at the time of the upgrade. You will be able to take the 50% discount off of the full premium (as opposed to a discount off of the lower, pro-rated premium) when you renew your policy for the next year. In the end, this will be a bigger discount because you will then be eligible the next year for a 25% discount off of the full premium.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make policy changes online, click here!

Yes, you can change your address online by logging into your account in the customer portal.

Log into your customer portal account to make changes, additions, and upgrades to your policy:

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to Make Changes to update your contact information and make changes (or additions) to your existing policy

*Please note is it your responsibility to notify CPH of any changes to your name or contact information.

Please remember that your coverage is portable, so the address we keep on file is a mailing address only. You do not need to inform us each time you change the location of your practice unless you would like your mailing address to change as well.

If you do make a change to your mailing address, we will send you an endorsement within the next week that amends the policy. Endorsements are not created for phone or email changes.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make policy changes online, click here!

Any premium adjustments will be pro-rated and the customer will either be refunded the leftover premium or billed for additional premium owed. If payment is due, payment must be received first before any endorsements will be issued.

All required information and payment must be received in our office within 30 days from the date of your request or the change will be deleted from the policy. Changes to the policy are usually processed within 5-7 business days. Documents outlining changes made to the policy are automatically emailed to the insured immediately upon completion.

Log into your customer portal account to make changes, additions, and upgrades to your policy:

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to Make Changes to update your contact information and make changes (or additions) to your existing policy

*Please note is it your responsibility to notify CPH of any changes to your name or contact information.

Requests to change the policy cannot be backdated but may be requested up to 75 days in advance.

*Third parties cannot make changes to a policy. All requests must be submitted or otherwise formally authorized (in writing) by the Insured.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make policy changes online, click here!

Generally speaking, while you are practicing it is recommended that you always maintain continuous coverage. If you allow your policy to lapse, you will have to reapply for a new policy. If you have had 2 or more lapsed or canceled policies with CPH Insurance, you are ineligible for another policy with our company.

If you must allow your policy to lapse because you will not be practicing for an indefinite time period (e.g. due maternity leave, a break between completion of your professional degree and receipt of your license, a break between the end of your student practicum and provisional licensure or intern registration, or to begin retirement), please notify us in writing prior to your policy expiration date so that we may mark your record and prevent lapse notices from being sent to you. If you choose to reapply at a later date, having pro-actively notified us of your impending lapse may allow us to make an exception to the 2-lapse rule (subject to underwriter approval).

If you have canceled or allowed a policy to lapse and did not secure another policy to begin effective the date your previous policy lapsed or was canceled, there is a “gap” or period of time between the prior and subsequent policies where you are uninsured. This means, if a claim arises out of a Professional Incident or therapy occurring during this “gap,” the insurance company will not be obligated to pay the claim on your behalf.

Other disadvantages to having coverage gaps:

• Insurance companies (including CPH Insurance) may decline to write a new policy on your behalf due to the gaps in your coverage.
• If a claim arises out of therapy that was conducted over a period of time during which there was a gap between policies, any assistance from any involved insurance company could become delayed or declined altogether due to the existence of a gap

Occurrence coverage is lifetime coverage for the policy period. This means that if there is a claim or suit against you, as long as you were insured at the time of the incident or treatment that resulted in the claim or suit, this policy will still apply. The premium will also remain the same every year and each year will be secured with its set of limits for whichever option was chosen (i.e. $1 million/ $3 million).

A Claims-Made policy will cover claims that occur while the policy is in effect. Coverage starts with a lower premium which increases as the liability increases. If policy holders wish to extend the amount of time they can report a claim after the policy expiration date, they will need to purchase what is known as a “tail coverage” or an “Extended Reporting Period”.

We offer Prior Acts Coverage going back to your expiring claims made policy’s retroactive date. Contact our office for more information.

The policy term is one year with a one-time payment upon application. We do not offer month-to-month policy coverage OR payments. Please note that our policies DO NOT auto-renew and we require you to re-apply every year.

Customers with Individual policies cannot add employees or interns to their policies. The employees or interns must take out their own policies. Your policy automatically covers you for supervising interns as long as such practice falls under the scope of your licensure.

If you are a customer with group/corporate coverage, you may request to add employees to the policy by accessing your account in our portal.

MY ACCOUNT

Log into your customer portal account to make changes, additions, and upgrades to your policy:

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to Make Changes to update your contact information and make changes (or additions) to your existing policy

For a detailed, step-by-step guide on how to make policy changes online, click here!

*Please note is it your responsibility to notify CPH of any changes to your name or contact information.

Supplemental liability is coverage that pays for legal liability for bodily injury, property damage and personal injury liability claims that occur while you are rendering your professional services. Limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$3,000,000 aggregate or $1,000,000 per occurrence/$5,000,000 aggregate are available.

The first number (“Per Incident” or “Per Occurrence”) refers to the maximum amount that can be paid as “damages” for any single claim. The second number (“Aggregate”) refers to the total amount that can be paid for all claims during the policy period (in our case, the “policy period” = 1 year).

Defense costs are unlimited and are not deducted from the limits of liability.

While all Business Entities may apply online, only single person entities may actually purchase online. Any Business Entity employing more than just an owner can submit their application online and will receive an invoice within 2 business days.

 Group policies cover the named corporation and any individuals included on the policy for practice under the umbrella of the corporation. At least one person must be listed as owner/partner/principal in order to take out a group policy. All administrative staff are automatically covered under the policy and do not need to be named on the application.

If you are currently insured under an individual policy, you do not need to take out a second policy. You may instead upgrade your current policy to corporate status in your Customer Portal.

If your professional practice is incorporated, you can take out a corporate policy even if you are the only employee. You would still use the Group Entity application, but you would list yourself as the sole Owner/Partner/Principal.

If you do additional practice outside the umbrella of your corporation, you may elect to add a “Work Outside” endorsement when you complete the application for coverage.

If you are currently insured under an individual policy, you do not need to take out a second policy. You may instead upgrade your current policy by accessing your account in the Customer Portal. Go to Make Changes To My Policy, select Add Something, then select Add Corporate Coverage.

If you have a corporation providing mental health services, it can be sued separately as its own entity in addition to any suits against individual counselors that may be working for the corporation. Paying an extra 10% of the premium for “Separate Limits” gives the corporation name itself its own limits of liability (for example $1Million Occurrence/$3 Million Aggregate) in addition to the existing ($1/3 Million) limits of liability covering all individuals listed under the policy. “Shared limits” means that if the corporate entity is sued in addition to any individuals, the $1/3 Million limits of liability must be shared between them, and the coverage may be exhausted more quickly.

NOTE: Separate limits will only be issued in amounts identical to those covering the individuals listed on the policy (e.g. $1/3 Million limits; $1/3 Million separate limits). Separate limits are NOT available in denominations differing from the main set of limits (e.g. $1/3 Million limits; $2/4 Million separate limits).

If you have a group/corporate policy, administrative staff are covered automatically and do not need to be listed on the policy. If you have an individual policy, you cannot cover your administrative staff.

NOTE: Patient intake personnel are not considered to be “administrative staff.” To cover them under a group policy, they must be named and paid for as employees

Policies written on a Claims-Made basis contain a specific date on which coverage begins (commonly known as the “retroactive date”) and provides no coverage for claims arising out of occurrences that take place prior to this date.

Your policy with CPH Insurance is written on an occurrence basis, and there is no “retroactive date” named in the policy. Occurrence coverage applies to claims or suits resulting from professional incidents occurring during the policy period. See the “Occurrence Coverage vs. Claims Made” section below for additional information about the differences between the two policy types.

Yes, cyber liability coverage is extended to our mental and allied health professionals as a claims-made endorsement. We do not offer cyber liability as a stand alone policy; you must have a professional liability policy with CPH Insurance in order to add cyber liability. There are two different levels of coverage offered. For more detailed information about cyber liability coverage, please click here.

Yes – provided such practice is authorized or allowable under the scope of your license in the state where you practice, you are performing such services lawfully and the online platform you’re utilizing is HIPAA compliant. Contact your state licensing board if you are unsure.

Yes. CPH malpractice policy holders have the option to add Business Income & Extra Expense Coverage if they also add CPH TOP coverage (general liability and business personal property) to their policy. Together, these coverages provide protection for incidents related to slip and fall, damage to your personal property and potential loss of income as it relates to restoring your office space due to damage. This coverage is not available in Florida.

Business Income and Extra Expense coverage costs $50 per year for a $250,000 limit which would include:

• The Loss of Business Income
• Payroll Expenses
• Temporary Practice Location

To review Business Income and extra Expense coverage details and exclusions, click here!

To add Business Income and Extra Expense coverage to your existing policy with CPH Insurance, login to your customer portal, select “Make Changes to My Policy” and submit a “General Change Request.”

Our website has been issued a QuickSSL certificate to enable server security. This security certificate is verified by GeoTrust.

“Sites secured by QuickSSL are utilizing 256-bit SSL certificates thereby offering the highest level of encryption or security possible. This means you can rest assured that communications between your browser and this site’s web servers are private and secure.”– GeoTrust

Your credit card information is authorized through a secure 3rd party (a subsidiary of Visa), so the credit card information you submit is never stored or available to us in its entirety.

Note: If your browser gives you an error message stating that it “cannot establish a secure connection” to our server or that it is “unable to verify” the security certificate for this site, this is because your browser may not have a sufficient encryption level to support this site. If this happens, we recommend trying again using a newer browser or sending the application via fax or mail.

Your internet browser may be the culprit–you may want to try viewing the site using a different browser. Normally, we recommend using Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer (version 10.0 or newer). If you do not have a different browser installed on your computer, please consider using a different computer, or apply by mail or fax.

CPH Insurance does not send advertisements or share our customer information with third parties.

If you have Adware or Spyware (or a virus) on your computer, it can cause any attachments that you open to point to a different file. Try pulling up your documents directly from our customer portal. Otherwise,contact us for a mailed or faxed copy. Log into your customer portal account to retrieve your proof of coverage or other policy documents:

• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to My Documents to retrieve your proof of coverage (certificate of insurance) or other policy documents

Normally, the website demonstrates that it is processing your application by showing a scrolling message that says “Processing, please wait.” If you didn’t see this message, your internet browser may have timed out. Sometimes browsers (such as Internet Explorer) timeout after a page has been open for a certain length of time. When you successfully apply online, you should receive a confirmation page as well as an email showing your proof of coverage. To find out, first:

• Check your email to see if your documents arrived. It can take a few minutes for your documents to be generated and sent to you. Make sure to check any “Spam” or “Bulk” folders that may filter out messages from unknown senders.
  Try to look up your policy documents through our customer portal. Once a policy has been issued, your documents will be available to download.
• Log into your customer portal account to retrieve your proof of coverage or other policy documents:
• Click the My Account button above to log into your CPH customer portal account
• Once in the portal, go to My Documents to retrieve your proof of coverage (certificate of insurance) or other policy documents

Contact us if you would like us to check and see if your application was submitted OR reapply by web, mail, or fax.

• If your internet browser timed out, most likely the application was not submitted to our database. If your credit card has not been charged, we have not processed your application, and you may try again online. If filling out the application again, try to complete it as quickly as possible to avoid another timeout.