New Great American Endorsement Covers Use of Drug to Prevent Opioid Overdoses

Great American Insurance Group has launched a professional liability endorsement to cover the administration of Naloxone, a drug that counteracts opiates. The endorsement, offered through its Specialty Human Services Division, is designed to protect human and social service organizations that may incidentally encounter a heroin or other opioid overdose situation.

In July 2015, the Centers for Disease Control reported that the number of heroin overdose deaths quadrupled between 2002 and 2013. In that same month, states began to enact emergency legislation measures to address the devastation of opioid overdoses. Some states allowed Naloxone to be administered without prescription.

“In many states, human and social service organizations can now obtain Naloxone without a physician’s order. Our new endorsement covers employees and volunteers that work in social service, human service, religious, educational and cultural organizations. These people are often on the front lines of preventing deaths from opioid overdoses,” said Mike Liguzinski, divisional president.

Organizations this coverage targets include homeless shelters, recovery centers, rescue missions, nonprofit detoxification facilities, emergency housing programs, community outreach organizations, private and charter schools and churches.

Great American Insurance Group primarily offers property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialty commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of traditional fixed and fixed-indexed annuities in the retail, financial institutions and education markets. Policies are underwritten by Great American Insurance Company, Great American Assurance Company, Great American Alliance Insurance Company, Great American Insurance Company of New York and Great American Spirit Insurance Company, authorized insurers in all 50 states and DC.