Professional Liability Insurance

The focus of the Board of Directors during the 2015-2016 operating year was to phase out the advocacy role of the MARRT and focus on matters of self-regulation. As the MARRT prepares for its application to the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA), it was determined that professional liability insurance (PLI) would be a mandatory requirement for licensure, which is the practice of most health profession regulatory colleges in Manitoba. The mandate of the MARRT is to protect the public, and this provides the rationale for all of the Board’s decisions. Professional liability insurance protects the public by ensuring that they have access to restitution in the event that patient care by a respiratory therapist results in harm to that patient. If a member of the public was treated by a respiratory therapist who did not have proper insurance and suffered serious harm, that patient would likely have great difficulty obtaining the compensation they deserved. The MARRT believes that it is in the best interest of public safety and self-regulated health professionals to institute the requirement for PLI in advance of our transition to the new legislation.

In 2016, the Board of Directors made the decision to require that all registrants of the Manitoba Association of Registered Respiratory Therapists possess current professional liability insurance. This mandatory requirement took effect in the license year of 2017 and the L-06 Professional Liability Insurance Policy was again revised in March 2023 to strengthen the language and clearly articulate the mandatory requirement that every registered respiratory therapist licensed by the MARRT hold current PLI and the level of coverage required. The Board of Directors believes that requiring all registrants of MARRT to possess current professional liability insurance is a necessary and important step for our profession and supports the mandate to protect the public.

 All MARRT registrants are required to have Professional Liability Insurance independent of their employer. This requirement allows for protection of the public in the event that compensation to the public is required as part of a claim. The minimum Professional Liability Insurance required by a member is $5,000,000 per claim and or $10,000,000 aggregate per year.   

You may already be covered by an insurance policy through your employer.  Current insurance policies in Manitoba hospitals will fully cover a registered respiratory therapist for legal expenses related to a malpractice case that goes to court, as long as the case does not involve accusations of criminal activity. These employer policies do not typically provide any financial coverage for legal advice obtained by a registered respiratory therapist to assist with the complaints process through the MARRT. Individual professional liability insurance policies typically do provide legal advice and coverage during the complaints process.  Given the potential for a complaint against a respiratory therapist to end in disciplinary action which may include fines, suspension, or withdrawal of license, it is practical for registrants to have legal support during this process.

Professional liability insurance can be purchased from the CSRT (see below for more information) or from many Insurance Brokers.  The cost will vary depending on the provider you choose.

In summary, the MARRT Board of Directors firmly believes that obtaining professional liability insurance is a professional responsibility in adhering to our standards of practice.  This requirement will ensure that all registered respiratory therapists are covered by malpractice insurance that protects them as an individual, and also protects the public.

Here is an informational video on why Professional Liability Insurance is important.

For further information, please contact the MARRT at:  office@marrt.org

Professional Liability Insurance through the CSRT

The CSRT is proud to offer professional liability insurance at very reasonable prices to Respiratory Therapists across Canada. 

For more information on professional liability insurance, please contact Katherine Nollet, Officer of membership and conference services at CSRT.

CSRT can also assist with payment of MARRT License Fees.

For more information on purchasing professional liability insurance through the CSRT click here.