Commissioners decline medical-professional renewal for Sunny Meadows, authorize up to two-year extension for abuse/molestation reporting

DeKalb County commissioners voted Feb. 2 to decline renewal of the medical-professional liability coverage tied to the recently closed Sunny Meadows facility but authorized pursuing an extended reporting period (a "tail") of up to two years for the abuse/molestation claims-made policy.

An insurance representative explained the distinction between occurrence-based general liability and claims-made specialty coverage, saying medical-professional and abuse/molestation coverages are commonly written on claims-made forms and require an active policy or an extended reporting period to respond to later allegations. The limits discussed matched the existing coverage lines; abuse/molestation coverage has historically been offered as a claims-made policy and carries the larger late-claim risk.

Commissioners weighed the probability of a future medication-distribution claim against the abuse/molestation exposure. Several commissioners said they believed the medical-professional risk had diminished since Sunny Meadows ceased operations and that any medication-distribution errors would likely already have surfaced; they agreed not to renew that specific coverage when it lapses in May. By motion and voice vote, the board authorized county staff and the broker to seek an extended reporting period for the abuse/molestation coverage for up to two years and to proceed with procurement steps as needed.

The vote was recorded as 3–0 in favor of pursuing the abuse/molestation extension and not renewing the medical-professional policy. County insurance staff will follow up with carriers on whether a two-year extended reporting period is available and on annual premium implications.