Indemnity Insurance

Insurance Cover for Members of the New Zealand Psychological Society

Your membership of the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS) entitles you to purchase professional indemnity insurance through our members scheme. The Society has partnered with insurance broker Aon New Zealand to offer NZPsS members a competitive indemnity insurance package.
Liability insurance is part of any good risk management practice. Should you find yourself at the wrong end of a complaint, investigation or enquiry; not only does it provide financial protection to pay damages awarded against you and the costs of defending yourself, it provides access to the right kind of legal advice from experienced practitioners and Aon’s own in-house claims team to guide and support you in what can be a stressful time.
Aon New Zealand have a dedicated liability division with specialised knowledge and delivery of competitive liability insurance schemes located in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Their Wellington based team have managed health and medical professions schemes for over 20 years and have a liability claims team to help you through the claims process.

Why do I need professional indemnity insurance cover?

The reason you need insurance cover is that it not only provides financial assistance to pay damages awarded against you, but also provides for the costs of defending yourself against allegations, which may not be justified in relation to your professional role.

Who do I contact to if I have questions about the Aon insurance?

Elizabeth Ngan, Aon Broker Manager can be contacted at elizabeth.ngan(at)aon.com
She will be happy to help.

What are my options for cover and how much will it cost?

Check the latest Aon insurance application form for information related to cover and its cost.

How do I notify a claim?

Aon have a dedicated Claims Team who understand the complexities behind a liability insurance claim and are able to provide guidance and advocacy, at claim time. If you become aware of a complaint or notification, you should contact the Legal Helpline in the first instance at 0800 327 500

I am a chartered member of the Institute of Organisational Psychology, can I get indemnity insurance?

Yes, you can.

How will I be invoiced by Aon?

You will be invoiced directly from Aon New Zealand and are asked to settle your invoice by the date shown on the tax invoice. There are various payment options available to members.

Will I get retroactive cover with professional indemnity policy?

Yes. The professional indemnity policy provides you with retroactive cover to the date on which you became a member of the Society. You must have had a current professional indemnity Insurance policy when you transferred over to Aon. This means that if a claim is first made known to you during the current period of insurance and notified to the current insurer and relates to a matter that occurred after the time of joining the Society, you will have insurance protection, subject to the policy coverage terms and conditions and provided you had purchased professional indemnity Insurance from when you first joined the Society.

I am an intern psychologist can I get indemnity insurance cover?

Yes, there is free cover available to student members of the New Zealand Psychological Society, provided you are working with a current insured member of the Society who have their insurance under the Aon NZPsS scheme. The student member needs to be in the final year of study. This is subject to completion of a Student Intern Proposal for student subscribers of the Society who have been a subscriber for a minimum of six months prior to application. The application will need to be referred to the insurers for acceptance.
Upon completion of your tertiary studies, you are required to apply for your own insurance and Aon will be more than happy to assist with this process.

What legal assistance is available to me with my indemnity cover?

As part of the insurance cover, your defence and other associated legal costs connected with an actual or potential claim event are included. This cover is provided in addition to the policy limit of indemnity (up to an amount equal to your any one claim indemnity limit).
As noted above, if you become aware of a complaint or notification, you should contact the Legal Helpline in the first instance at 0800 327 500

Will my insurance cover also provide Employee Assistance (EAP) Support?

Yes you can access EAP services up to the value of $500 (in total for the policy year) where counselling support is required following a covered claim event.

Once I am no longer working as a psychologist can I still get cover for claims that may arise from when I was practising?

Yes, this is called Run-Off cover and is a very cost-effective way to manage the risk of retrospective claims.  Contact elizabeth.ngan(at)aon.com for more information.

If my membership of the New Zealand Psychological Society lapses can I still continue with my indemnity insurance?

Yes, you will still be able to continue with your insurance, but your premiums and benefits may change.

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