Who We Are

HISTORY

We stake our reputation on protecting yours.

Physicians Insurance was founded in 1981 under the auspices of the Washington State Medical Association. Physicians believed then, as they do now, that they would get better service and outcomes from a company that they owned. This idea launched our mutual company – and 40 purpose-driven years of protecting, defending, and supporting our Members with excellence and personalized service.

Since then, other insurance carriers have entered and left the market, but Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company has remained as a stable and committed insurer for physicians, clinics, facilities, and hospitals. The company has cultivated steady growth and built a strong financial base by providing broad policy coverage, claims and risk management expertise, and exceptional customer service, all at competitive rates.

It’s one thing to offer insurance, and quite another to see it through. In every communication, every expert opinion, every risk assessment, and every claim, all our Members experience the positive impact of our mission on their professional lives. And with over 8,500 Members and an AM Best* rating of A- (Excellent), this experience is now in evidence all over the nation.

Especially in the most trying times, you want a partner who not only listens, but understands. Who not only understands, but who acts in your best interest. Who not only acts on your behalf, but who gets results for your practice, your healthcare organization, your business, and your life’s work.

That’s Physicians Insurance.


Physicians Insurance RRG: Furthering National Expansion

With the 2015 formation of Physicians Insurance Risk Retention Group, Inc., more physicians and hospitals across the U.S. are able to secure the exceptional coverage, risk-management, claims, and legal defense services of Physicians Insurance. Our risk-retention group is rated A- (Excellent) by AM Best and backed by Physicians Insurance’s reinsurance and strong balance sheet.


*AM Best’s ratings are on a scale from A++ (Superior) down to D (Poor), with even lower ratings for companies under regulatory supervision or in liquidation.

 

Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company Board of Directors
Physicians Insurance is a mutual insurance company governed by a board of directors elected by the policyholders. Physician representation on the Board is guaranteed by the bylaws, and the company benefits from the expertise of several nonphysician directors. Below are the names of the current Board members.

Shane Macaulay, MD, Board Chair
Diagnostic Radiology
Bellevue, WA

David Carlson, DO
Family Medicine
Tacoma, WA

Bill Cotter
President and CEO
Physicians Insurance A Mutual Company
Seattle, WA

Joseph Deng, MD
Anesthesiology
Portland, OR

Jordana Gaumond, MD
General Surgery
Portland, OR

Gary Goin, MD
Family Medicine
Olympia, WA

Jennifer Hanscom
Chief Executive Officer
Washington State Medical Association
Seattle, WA

Skip Li, JD
Attorney
Seattle, WA

Ursula Luckert
Clinic CEO
Portland, OR

John Pasqualetto
President, Chairman, and CEO,
Seabright Holdings (retired)
Seattle, WA

Walter Skowronski
President, Boeing Capital Corporation (retired)
Kirkland, WA

2022 Annual Report
View 2022 Annual Report

 

Financial Stewardship and Performance

In January 1982, known then as Washington State Physicians Insurance Exchange (WSPIE), the Washington State Medical Association (WSMA), and individual physicians got together and wrote personal checks to provide $2.4 million in loans to start the company.

Fast forward to the present: Physicians Insurance has provided more than 40 years of financial strength and support for our Members. We hold an A-(Excellent) rating by AM Best*. Our policyholder surplus is approaching $270 million and in 2022 we generated more than $155 million in premium.

We’ve become the number one insurer of medical practices and critical access hospitals in the Pacific Northwest and are expanding nationwide through our risk retention group. We go the distance in providing experienced, rigorous claims defense, while collaborating to reduce risks with tailored risk management services. Working with our broker partners, we remain focused on protecting and serving: 

  • 7600+ physicians
  • 350+ clinics, community health centers and other medical facilities 
  • 60+ hospitals  

Physicians Insurance is a mutual company that is owned and directed by you, our Member owners. We are grateful for the opportunity to support and protect you, and we hope you see the long-term value of your company's support. There is always one thing you can count on:

Physicians Insurance will be alongside you every step of the way.

After all, we are your company.


Documents:


* A.M. Best’s ratings are on a scale from A++ (superior) down to D (poor), with even lower ratings for companies under regulatory supervision or in liquidation.

"We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate."

-- Thomas Jefferson


Physicians Insurance Participates

Advocacy is crucial to ensuring that the concerns of our members and their patients are heard by lawmakers at both the state and national level. That's why the Government Relations program at Physicians Insurance works in close cooperation with many other organizations that pursue similar goals, and our staff have become trusted and valued sources of information and ideas for legislators, regulators, and others concerned about our issues.

As a result, we are frequently asked to serve on task forces to develop new laws and regulations and to serve on the boards of local and national organizations and coalitions. For instance, our in-house lobbyist Anne Bryant serves as the Chair of the Government Relations Committee for the Medical Professional Liability Association (MPL Association). We are established as a leading advocate for laws that impact health care liability, insurance, and patient safety. In addition, we work to promote civil justice issues from a defense perspective.

As we keep abreast of issues facing our region, our strong advocacy continues nationally and in states in which we provide coverage. We focus on work such as supporting Crisis Standard of Care, the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act, COVID-19 liability and telemedicine liability protections. We also work to defeat proposals that increase the cap on non-economic damages recoverable in person injury and wrongful death actions in states that have damage caps in effect. In addition, we work closely with state hospital and medical associations and specialty societies in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.

We also recognize the importance of bipartisan support of candidates open to reasonable laws in our areas of emphasis: health care liability reform, insurance, and patient safety. We support efforts to recruit concerned, legislative and judicial candidates who have a balanced and fair approach and who are able and willing to look at all sides of these issues.

For more information or questions, please contact Anne E. Bryant, Senior Director of Government Relations, at (206) 343-7300 or govrelations@phyins.com.


Relevant Links


 

This company is forward thinking; in recent years we have diversified our business in a way that has caused us to be seen as a thought leader in our industry. 

Erika
Project Management
Employee since 2010