Harper vs 
Heffernan Insurance Brokers Medical Malpractice Insurance
Harper places clinician malpractice with claims-made forms and same-day certificates; Heffernan packages Med Mal for hospitals and clinics, including captives.
What Is Harper Insurance?
Harper is a commercial insurance brokerage for businesses with complex risks. Its specialists use AI tools to gather information, seek quotes from insurers and help customers manage coverage. 1,2
What Is Heffernan Insurance Brokers?
Heffernan Insurance Brokers is an independent, Walnut Creek–headquartered retail brokerage that arranges business insurance, employee benefits, and related services. Its technology practice markets to mid- and late-stage companies, including venture-funded and pre-IPO firms. 4,5,6
What Is Medical Malpractice Insurance?
Medical malpractice insurance is professional liability coverage for claims arising from a health care professional’s medical services. 8,9
Key Differences in Medical Malpractice Insurance
Who Each Broker Says It Serves
Harper markets this line to clinicians and care businesses that need malpractice coverage for licensure or facility privileges. Heffernan says its health-care team serves physician groups, clinics, hospitals, patient transport companies and laboratories, plus allied health, home care and senior living. 3 7
Form Type and Related Coverage Terms
Harper says most of the medical malpractice policies it places are claims-made, which makes the retroactive date and tail (extended reporting) coverage important when a clinician changes jobs, retires or switches carriers, and it also places entity coverage for the practice or facility itself, not only individual clinicians. 3Company-reported. FAQ and coverage-features text on the product page; actual trigger and tail terms depend on the specific policy.
Heffernan’s healthcare page does not describe claims-made versus occurrence, tail, prior acts or entity coverage separately from its bundled list. Harper also describes license-board complaint defense in addition to lawsuits; Heffernan’s reviewed page does not itemize board-complaint defense. 3 7
What to Confirm in Medical Malpractice Insurance Quotes
- Ask Harper which specialty market is quoting and whether tail and prior acts are included. 3
- Ask Heffernan whether Med Mal is fully insured or in a captive or self-insured plan, and which other healthcare lines sit on the same program. 7
- Confirm license-board defense on Harper’s placement; Heffernan’s page does not describe that coverage. 3 7
- Compare certificate timing: Harper’s same-day claim versus Heffernan’s brokered program, which does not publish a same-day certificate statement. 3 7
Offering Details
Harper vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Medical Malpractice Insurance: documented features by provider
| Criteria | Harper Medical Malpractice Insurance | Heffernan Healthcare Insurance — Medical Malpractice |
|---|---|---|
| Role in This Line | Harper places medical malpractice coverage with carriers it describes as familiar with the clinician's or care business's specialty, rather than underwriting the policy itself. 3Company-reported. Product-page description of Harper's placement role for this line. | Heffernan lists Medical Malpractice (Med Mal) as one of its named healthcare service specialties, placing coverage with carriers for health care clients rather than underwriting it. 7Company-reported. Healthcare Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; no dedicated medical-malpractice sub-page was found beyond this healthcare practice page. |
| Issuing Insurer | Not described in the reviewed sources. | Heffernan says it has relationships with 'the nation's top insurance carriers' for a fully insured healthcare plan, but the reviewed page does not name a specific medical-malpractice insurer. 7Not publicly disclosed. Healthcare Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23. |
| Who It’s For | Harper markets this line to clinicians and care businesses that need malpractice coverage for licensure or facility privileges, and it names tail coverage as a particular concern when a clinician leaves a practice or switches carriers. 3Company-reported. Product-page marketing copy; not an eligibility guarantee for a particular applicant or specialty. | Heffernan says its health care risk-management team serves physician groups, clinics, hospitals, patient transport companies, and laboratories, plus specialty practices in allied health, home care, and senior living. 7Company-reported. Healthcare Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; not exclusively medical-malpractice-specific, but names the buyer types the practice serves. |
| Coverage Features | Harper describes the medical malpractice coverage it places as responding to allegations about diagnosis, treatment, medication or supervision decisions, and as including defense of licensing-board complaints in addition to lawsuits. 3Company-reported. Product-page coverage summary; the issued policy and its exclusions control the actual terms. Harper says most of the medical malpractice policies it places are claims-made, which makes the retroactive date and tail (extended reporting) coverage important when a clinician changes jobs, retires or switches carriers, and it also places entity coverage for the practice or facility itself, not only individual clinicians. 3Company-reported. FAQ and coverage-features text on the product page; actual trigger and tail terms depend on the specific policy. | Heffernan says it packages medical malpractice with other healthcare coverages such as workers' compensation, professional liability, and cyber liability for a single client program. 7Company-reported. Healthcare Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; the page does not describe medical-malpractice insuring agreements, claims-made versus occurrence form, or limits separately from the bundled list. |
| Limits and Retentions | The reviewed medical malpractice page does not publish limit or retention amounts; it says cost and, implicitly, available terms depend on specialty, volume and claims history. 3Not publicly disclosed. Medical malpractice product page as read on 2026-09-23. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
| Risk Services | Harper says it can issue certificates and quotes the same day for this line, and describes reaching both large carriers and specialty markets that write malpractice for a given specialty. 3Company-reported. Product-page service claims; not independently timed or confirmed for a particular request. | Beyond fully insured placements, Heffernan offers healthcare clients captive, partially self-insured, or fully self-insured plan structures, and says it has experience serving nonprofit health care organizations. 7Company-reported. Healthcare Insurance page as read on 2026-09-23; described for the healthcare practice generally, not exclusively for medical malpractice. |
| How to Apply | You apply for Harper medical malpractice coverage through an online quote form, and Harper says a specialist walks applicants through the occurrence-versus-claims-made and tail-coverage tradeoffs before they commit. 3Company-reported. Quote form and FAQ observed on the product page. | Not described in the reviewed sources. |
Full Comparison
More Harper vs Heffernan Insurance Brokers Comparisons
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Sources
Harper
- Text Messaging Terms and Conditions. Harper Global Enterprises Inc.; Effective August 24, 2026; sections 1–3 (entity, consent and service messages), 5 (message costs), 9 (delivery) and 11 (coverage confirmation). Accessed 2026-09-15.
- We're Announcing $47M to Build the Insurance Company Every Business Deserves. Harper / Dakotah Rice; February 26, 2026 article: brokerage identity; AI-assisted submissions and follow-ups; 24–48-hour coverage statement; more than 165 underwriters; plans for additional direct appointments. Accessed 2026-09-15.
- Medical Malpractice Insurance. Harper; Product hero; Know your coverage: What is Medical Malpractice insurance?; Professional liability for care, License defense, Tail and prior acts, Entity coverage; Why Harper; FAQ: Occurrence or claims-made?, Does it cover board complaints?, What does it cost? Accessed 2026-09-23.
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
- Our Story. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Headquartered in Walnut Creek; nationwide presence; founded 1988; employee owned; niche practices including technology. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Technology Company Insurance. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Pre-IPO and venture-funded heading; mid to late stage specialization; global expansion copy; self-insurance strategies; Key Markets list; Why Heffernan broker history; Joseph Talmadge practice leader; FAQ. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Heffernan Business Insurance Brokerage. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Forward-Thinking Business Insurance: basic coverages (general liability, commercial property and auto, workers’ compensation); corporate and executive protection (EPL, D&O, fiduciary responsibility, cyber, kidnap and ransom); alternative risk capabilities; claims, loss control and risk-management services; industry practice links including Technology and Claims Advocacy. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Healthcare Insurance for Health Care Services. Heffernan Insurance Brokers; Healthcare Services: Allied Health & Specialty Centers, Home Care Agencies, Medical Malpractice (Med Mal), Senior Living Communities; from physician groups, clinics, and hospitals to patient transport companies and laboratories; if you'd like a fully insured plan, we have relationships with the nation's top insurance carriers; explore captive, partially-self-insured or fully-self-insured plans; dovetail all the coverages you need — from workers' compensation to professional liability, cyber liability and more. Accessed 2026-09-23.
Medical Malpractice Insurance Guide
- Medical Malpractice Insurance. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Background: Issue; Overview; two basic types. Accessed 2026-09-16.
- Medical Liability Insurance shopping guide. Texas Department of Insurance; What is medical liability insurance?; Claims-made versus occurrence; changing carriers; renewal tips. Accessed 2026-09-16.
