Medical & Surgical Supply Distributor Insurance Coverage Checklist
The coverages a medical & surgical supply distributor business may carry — core, prevalent, and situational — why each matters, and the gap most often missed.
Pull out your current policy and check the box next to any coverage you can confirm is already in place — anything unchecked is worth a quick conversation with your advisor. Coverage checklist for wholesale distributors of medical and surgical supplies and devices. Priorities reflect typical exposure for this class; confirm against your actual product lines, sourcing, and customer contracts.
Tick each coverage you can confirm you carry — anything left unticked is a good question for your next policy review.
| Have it? | Coverage | Why this business needs it | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Products Liability | Covers injury claims from devices and supplies you sell — you can be sued even though you didn't make them. | Core | |
| Commercial General Liability | Covers premises, delivery, and in-service claims at customer facilities. | Core | |
| Vendor's Endorsement / Additional Insured | Puts you on your manufacturers' policies; hospitals also require to be added to yours. | Core | |
| Umbrella / Excess Liability | Adds limits for serious patient injury; hospital and GPO contracts often require it. | Core | |
| Product Recall | Pays to notify customers, retrieve, and replace recalled products — products liability does not. | Prevalent | |
| Commercial Property & Stock | Covers warehouse and inventory, including high-value instruments and implants. | Prevalent | |
| Workers' Compensation | Required by law; warehouse lifting and delivery injuries are common. | Prevalent | |
| Cyber / Privacy Liability | Covers ordering systems and any patient data on packing slips or implant records. | Prevalent | |
| Errors & Omissions (Service / Installation) | Needed if you install, calibrate, repair, or train on equipment. | Situational | |
| Commercial Auto | Covers delivery vehicles and reps driving to customer sites. | Situational | |
| Inland Marine / Cargo | Covers product in transit and loaner or consignment sets at hospitals. | Situational | |
| Foreign Liability / Import Coverage | Needed when you import products or sell outside the U.S. | Situational |
The coverage gap most often missed
The gap most often missed by medical supply distributors is the manufacturer who cannot be reached. State laws that shield resellers generally fall away when the maker is overseas, insolvent, or uninsured — common with imported PPE and private-label products — and then the distributor stands in the manufacturer's shoes. Confirm that your products coverage includes imported and private-label lines, collect vendor's endorsements from every manufacturer, and check whether your policy excludes products not cleared by FDA.
Send us the checklist and we'll review your medical & surgical supply distributor coverage line by line, then market it across multiple carriers that compete for your account.
Related: Medical & Surgical Supply Distributor Insurance · Medical & Surgical Supply Distributor Supplemental (apply) · All coverage checklists
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does a medical & surgical supply distributor business need?
The core coverages for a medical & surgical supply distributor business are Products Liability, Commercial General Liability, Vendor's Endorsement / Additional Insured, Umbrella / Excess Liability. This checklist also lists the prevalent and situational coverages worth considering, with a plain-English note on why each matters.
Is this checklist insurance advice?
No. It is a free educational tool to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed professional. It affords no coverage and is not insurance, legal, or financial advice — only your actual policy language governs what is and isn't covered.
Can Cory Washington & Co. review my medical & surgical supply distributor coverage?
Yes. Share your checklist and we'll review your program line by line, market your account across multiple carriers, and explain the trade-offs in plain English. Cory Washington & Co. LLC is licensed in all 50 states.
This checklist is a free educational tool from Cory Washington & Co. to help you review your own coverage and have a more informed conversation with a licensed insurance professional. It is general information only — not insurance, legal, or financial advice, and not a recommendation to buy, change, or cancel any policy. Coverage terms, availability, limits, and requirements vary by policy, carrier, and state, and only the language in your actual policy governs what is and isn’t covered. Checking or leaving blank any item above does not indicate that you are adequately insured or under-insured. Using this checklist does not create a client, agency, or fiduciary relationship. Always consult a licensed professional about your specific situation.