Malpractice and Licensure In North Carolina
In North Carolina volunteers are offered a variety of options for coverage against malpractice that can further mitigate the already exceptionally low risk of volunteering in a Free Clinic.
- Special coverage is offered to volunteers serving in Free Clinics at a premium cost of $100 per year for licensed physicians already covered, or covered prior to retirement, by the Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina. (View application)
- For licensed physicians wishing to volunteer but not currently covered by Medical Mutual, special coverage may be offered on a case-by-case basis.
- The North Carolina Association of Free Clinics is currently working with many clinics in the state to
facilitate their participation in the Federal Tort Claims Act, thereby allowing approved clinics to "deem"
their licensed volunteer practitioners to be considered "employees" of the U.S. Public Health Service and
thereby offered the full protection of the Federal government. (Contact cjones@ncafcs.org)
- Some Free Clinics in North Carolina provide malpractice coverage for their volunteers.
North Carolina has a special limited volunteer license accessible to both retiring practitioners licensed in
NC and to non-licensed retirees. The one page application for those converting from an active license is at
this point significantly less demanding than the application for those who have not held a NC license.
The CME requirement for licensure in NC is presently 150 hours every 3 years for active and volunteer licensure. Application for a volunteer license can be obtained by calling the NC Medical Board at 919-326-1100 or 800-253-9653; via e-mail at
license@ncmedboard.org; or at http://www.ncmedboard.org/Clients/NCBOM/Public/Physicians/retvol.htm.
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