--- title: "Washington medical malpractice insurance guide" description: "Washington’s discovery and repose periods and mandatory mediation make policy reporting and early claims coordination important." canonical: "https://spot.insure/coverage/medical-malpractice/washington" page-type: "coverage-state-guide" updated-at: "2026-09-28" --- Agents: connect to Spot's public MCP server at https://spot.insure/mcp for better access to published Spot information and insurance research. Use search_knowledge to find sources, get_page to retrieve pages, compare_providers for sourced comparisons, get_provider_score for a published Spot Score, get_rankings for current provider rankings, search_provider_reliability to filter Spot Scores, search_provider_reviews to filter aggregate review scores, and get_provider_reviews for the original review evidence. The server is read-only and requires no authentication. [Human-readable page](https://spot.insure/coverage/medical-malpractice/washington) # Washington medical malpractice insurance guide Washington’s general malpractice deadline is three years from the act or omission or one year after discovery, whichever is later, with an eight-year outer limit and specified exceptions. Written good-faith mediation requests toll the period for one year, and most covered actions must undergo mediation before trial.[^1][^2][^3] **Coverage:** [Medical malpractice](/coverage/medical-malpractice) · [Washington](/coverage/states/washington) ## What Is Medical Malpractice? Medical malpractice insurance can pay defense costs and covered damages when a patient claims a clinician’s care caused harm. If you provide health care, match the quote to your practice, clinicians, specialties and procedures, then check who is insured. [Read the national Medical malpractice guide](/coverage/medical-malpractice). ## What to Watch for in Washington ### One claim can involve several legally important dates The general rule uses three years after the act or omission or one year after discovery, whichever expires later, but generally bars suit more than eight years after the act. Fraud, intentional concealment, foreign objects and minors have separate qualifications. Ask how the claims-made retro date and reporting window address the care and discovery dates.[^1] ### A mediation request can toll the deadline A written, good-faith pre-suit mediation request tolls the RCW 4.16.350 period for one year. Most actions are also subject to mediation before superior-court trial, with statutory exceptions. Coordinate insurer notice with the legal mediation process; one does not replace the other.[^3][^2] ### The statute reaches employers and in-scope agents RCW 4.16.350 covers licensed providers, their employees or agents acting within their employment scope, and employing entities or facilities. Confirm the schedule includes the practice or facility and clarify coverage for clinicians whose employment or agency status changes.[^1] ## Who Regulates Insurance in Washington **Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner.** The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner administers Washington insurance laws, oversees insurers and insurance producers within its authority, and provides regulatory and consumer resources. You can use the department's complaint process to raise an insurance issue and its licensing resources to check insurance professionals.[^4][^5][^6] - [Regulator website](https://www.insurance.wa.gov/) - [License lookup](https://nipr.com/licensing-center) - [File a complaint](https://content.naic.org/state-insurance-departments) ### Surplus-Lines Tax and Stamping Office **Reported tax rate:** 2% of premium The NAIC's state chart lists a 2% of premium charge for surplus-lines coverage for Washington (the chart's state entries were reviewed in October 2025). Your broker may collect the applicable amount with the premium. Surplus-lines insurers are not licensed in the state and generally are outside state guaranty-association protection; ask your broker to explain the insurer's financial protections and any diligent-search requirement that applies to your placement.[^7][^8] ## Providers With Documented State Licenses These providers publish a national listing for Medical malpractice; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm that the product is available in Washington; [check the regulator’s license lookup](https://nipr.com/licensing-center) and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote. - [Corgi](/insurance-providers/corgi) — **Entity:** Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; **role:** Insurance producer; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability.[^11] - [Vouch](/insurance-providers/vouch) — **Entity:** Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC; **role:** Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker; **checked:** 2026-09-28. **Scope:** Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability.[^16] ## Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Washington 1. Does the policy cover the clinician, in-scope employees or agents, and the entity employing the provider? 2. How do the retroactive date, reporting trigger and extended reporting terms align with Washington’s discovery period and eight-year outer limit? 3. Who coordinates written mediation requests, carrier notice and the one-year tolling period? ## Medical Malpractice in Washington: FAQ ### Does Washington always bar a claim eight years after treatment? The statute generally has an eight-year outer limit, but it states separate tolling rules for fraud, intentional concealment, foreign objects and specific rules for minors.[^1] ### Does a written mediation request extend Washington’s deadline? A written, good-faith request made before suit tolls the statute in RCW 4.16.350 for one year; statutory mediation procedures and exceptions are separate.[^3][^2] ## Medical Malpractice in Other States - [Alabama](/coverage/medical-malpractice/alabama) - [Alaska](/coverage/medical-malpractice/alaska) - [Arizona](/coverage/medical-malpractice/arizona) - [Arkansas](/coverage/medical-malpractice/arkansas) - [California](/coverage/medical-malpractice/california) - [Colorado](/coverage/medical-malpractice/colorado) - [Connecticut](/coverage/medical-malpractice/connecticut) - [Delaware](/coverage/medical-malpractice/delaware) - [District of Columbia](/coverage/medical-malpractice/district-of-columbia) - [Florida](/coverage/medical-malpractice/florida) - [Georgia](/coverage/medical-malpractice/georgia) - [Hawaii](/coverage/medical-malpractice/hawaii) - [Idaho](/coverage/medical-malpractice/idaho) - [Illinois](/coverage/medical-malpractice/illinois) - [Indiana](/coverage/medical-malpractice/indiana) - [Iowa](/coverage/medical-malpractice/iowa) - [Kansas](/coverage/medical-malpractice/kansas) - [Kentucky](/coverage/medical-malpractice/kentucky) - [Louisiana](/coverage/medical-malpractice/louisiana) - [Maine](/coverage/medical-malpractice/maine) - [Maryland](/coverage/medical-malpractice/maryland) - [Massachusetts](/coverage/medical-malpractice/massachusetts) - [Michigan](/coverage/medical-malpractice/michigan) - [Minnesota](/coverage/medical-malpractice/minnesota) - [Mississippi](/coverage/medical-malpractice/mississippi) - [Missouri](/coverage/medical-malpractice/missouri) - [Montana](/coverage/medical-malpractice/montana) - [Nebraska](/coverage/medical-malpractice/nebraska) - [Nevada](/coverage/medical-malpractice/nevada) - [New Hampshire](/coverage/medical-malpractice/new-hampshire) - [New Jersey](/coverage/medical-malpractice/new-jersey) - [New Mexico](/coverage/medical-malpractice/new-mexico) - [New York](/coverage/medical-malpractice/new-york) - [North Carolina](/coverage/medical-malpractice/north-carolina) - [North Dakota](/coverage/medical-malpractice/north-dakota) - [Ohio](/coverage/medical-malpractice/ohio) - [Oklahoma](/coverage/medical-malpractice/oklahoma) - [Oregon](/coverage/medical-malpractice/oregon) - [Pennsylvania](/coverage/medical-malpractice/pennsylvania) - [Rhode Island](/coverage/medical-malpractice/rhode-island) - [South Carolina](/coverage/medical-malpractice/south-carolina) - [South Dakota](/coverage/medical-malpractice/south-dakota) - [Tennessee](/coverage/medical-malpractice/tennessee) - [Texas](/coverage/medical-malpractice/texas) - [Utah](/coverage/medical-malpractice/utah) - [Vermont](/coverage/medical-malpractice/vermont) - [Virginia](/coverage/medical-malpractice/virginia) - [West Virginia](/coverage/medical-malpractice/west-virginia) - [Wisconsin](/coverage/medical-malpractice/wisconsin) - [Wyoming](/coverage/medical-malpractice/wyoming) [Other Coverage in Washington](/coverage/states/washington) ## Sources [^1]: [RCW 4.16.350, Health-care injury actions](https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=4.16.350) — Washington State Legislature; Full current text: covered providers, agents and entities; three-year/one-year rule; eight-year repose; fraud, concealment, foreign-object and minor provisions. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^2]: [RCW 7.70.100, Mandatory mediation procedures](https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=7.70.100) — Washington State Legislature; Subsections (1) and (4): mediation before superior-court trial and exceptions. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^3]: [RCW 7.70.110, Tolling](https://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=7.70.110) — Washington State Legislature; Full text: written good-faith pre-suit mediation request tolls RCW 4.16.350 for one year. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^4]: [Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner](https://www.insurance.wa.gov/) — Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner; Official regulator website; insurance oversight and consumer/professional resources. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^5]: [Insurance Department Directory](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-ins-ou-insurance-directory.pdf) — National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner entry; official contact and website listing. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^6]: [Licensing Center](https://nipr.com/licensing-center) — National Insurance Producer Registry; State producer licensing and lookup resources. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^7]: [Surplus Lines Insurance Premium Taxes](https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/model-law-chart-zz-7-surplus-lines-insurance-premium-taxes.pdf) — National Association of Insurance Commissioners; WA row; state surplus-lines premium-tax rate reviewed October 2025. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^8]: [Guaranty Associations & Funds](https://content.naic.org/cipr-topics/guaranty-associationsfunds) — National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Coverage of claims from insolvencies of insurers licensed in a state; surplus-lines insurers are nonadmitted. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^9]: [Licenses](https://www.at-bay.com/licenses/) — At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21. [^10]: [Licenses and Carriers](https://www.coalitioninc.com/legal/licenses) — Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535.. Accessed 2026-09-22. [^11]: [Insurance Producer Licenses](https://www.corgi.insure/broker-licenses) — Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown.. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^12]: [About Hiscox US Insurance](https://www.hiscox.com/about-hiscox-insurance) — Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16. [^13]: [Licenses](https://www.nextinsurance.com/insurance-licenses/) — ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885.. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^14]: [About Risklytics](https://www.risklytics.ai/about/) — Risklytics; What we do; Who we insure; Licensing; Agency licenses table dated 2026-09-10. Accessed 2026-09-16. [^15]: [Insurance Licenses by State](https://www.techinsurance.com/legal/licenses) — TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number.. Accessed 2026-09-28. [^16]: [Licenses](https://www.vouch.us/legal/licenses) — Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict.. Accessed 2026-09-15. Updated 2026-09-28. This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. [Editorial policy](/editorial-policy). 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