Ask Dr. Naresh Ahuja how he likes to work, and he’ll tell you he’s a black-or-white kind of surgeon.
“I don’t want to stay in the gray,” he says. “I need the answer right now.”
It’s a useful trait in an operating room. It’s also a demanding standard to hold a malpractice insurance broker to, which makes what he says about MEDPLI worth hearing.
A Surgeon Who Also Builds Weight Loss Programs
Dr. Ahuja is the founder and head surgeon of Ahuja Bariatric & Beyond in Mount Vernon, Illinois, a multi-specialty center focused on bariatric surgery, comprehensive weight loss, and general surgical procedures. He trained at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, then completed a fellowship in bariatric and advanced laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery at the University of Pittsburgh.
Since 2008, he has performed more than 4,000 bariatric procedures alongside thousands of other minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgeries, using laparoscopic and robotic-assisted techniques. Along the way, he developed and directed weight loss programs at two Illinois hospitals before building a practice of his own.
Running a Practice Is Different Than Practicing Medicine
Opening his own practice was a first for him. And in his view, independent practice is getting harder to sustain.
“A lot of practices are dying,” he says. “It’s kind of a lost art from where I see it.”
Insurance, he says, is part of the reason. There’s “a lot of hoopla around it and confusion,” and in his experience malpractice coverage is among the largest costs a practice carries. For a surgeon who has spent years focused on patients, learning to shop for coverage as a business owner was new territory.
His answer was to stop treating it as a purchase and start treating it as a relationship.
“If you don’t have a real partner who watches your interest,” he says, “you can’t practice without worrying about it.”
Why a Surgeon Needs Answers “Right Now”
Dr. Ahuja’s standard for a partner is simple, and it comes straight from how he works. He wants someone available, approachable, and quick. In his words, MEDPLI has been all three.
“I’ve never found that MEDPLI has not delivered that,” he says. “I have found them available, approachable, delivering the information in a timely fashion.”
The day-to-day looks like this. When he adds a service or changes what he does, he sends MEDPLI an email: I’m doing this now, and I need coverage for this.
“And they will find a solution and take care of it,” Dr. Ahuja says.
The Same Philosophy, From the Operating Room to the Insurance Policy
What makes the relationship work for Dr. Ahuja is that it mirrors how he runs his own practice.
“I have the same business philosophy,” he explains, “that I’ve got to be available to my patient, provide them all the information I have, and intervene.”
He sees that same approach in how MEDPLI works. Dr. Ahuja says he has never hesitated to call or text MEDPLI, even on weekends, and they have responded.
“That is the relationship I have with my patients,” he says.
MEDPLI works with physicians and practices from multiple specialties, but its approach comes down to something simple: match people with coverage that actually fits how they practice, instead of routing them through a maze of carrier-by-carrier applications. For a surgeon running a small, independent practice, that meant a broker who could keep pace with how he works.
Coverage That Fits the Budget of a Small Practice
A boutique practice has to watch its margins, and Dr. Ahuja is candid about that.
“There were times when we’re not making that kind of money,” he says. “I need to look for something so I can stay in business.”
Those were the moments, he says, when he leaned on MEDPLI the most.
“Max and his team went on looking for all that I was looking for.”
Instead of handing over a single quote, MEDPLI searched for coverage that kept the practice protected without straining it.
Four Years Later: Peace of Mind
Dr. Ahuja says he has worked with MEDPLI for years now. Asked what that has meant, his answer goes beyond price or paperwork.
“Somebody’s out there who’s watching what I do,” he says, “and I’m professionally protected from all the liabilities. It gives me peace.”
For a surgeon who offers a wide range of procedures, that peace has a practical side.
“I have an expert partner who will be ensuring that I have all the malpractice coverage for all the services I provide,” he says, “and that assures me that I can do what I do on a routine basis.”
His advice to other surgeons is direct. This was his first practice, he says, and he needed a partner who would watch his interests. He found one.
“I would personally recommend that everybody seek MEDPLI’s services.”
For surgeons and physicians building or running independent practices, MEDPLI works the way Dr. Ahuja does: available, responsive, and focused on coverage built around what you actually do.
FAQ
Surgeons need malpractice coverage that matches their specific procedures because risk, and therefore the right coverage, varies by what a practice performs. A policy should reflect the actual scope of procedures, including advanced laparoscopic, robotic-assisted, and revision surgeries, not just a general specialty label. A broker who understands a practice’s services can help match coverage to them, and flag when a new service might need changes.
A surgeon should look for a broker who is responsive, accessible, and willing to explain coverage in plain terms. In practice, that means timely answers, a single point of contact, and someone who will search for options that fit a practice’s size and budget, rather than offering one quote. Dr. Ahuja puts it simply: he looks for “a real partner who watches your interest.”
When a practice adds a new service or procedure, its coverage may need to be reviewed or updated. A broker can help by confirming whether the existing policy covers the change and, if it doesn’t, finding an option that does. Dr. Ahuja describes sending Max a short email whenever he starts something new, and relying on him to take care of it.
About the Author
Max Schloemann is a medical malpractice insurance broker helping physicians and surgeons secure Medical Professional Liability coverage. A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Southern Illinois University’s College of Business, he was named Outstanding Management Senior.
Max began his career in 2008 at an industry-leading firm and founded MEDPLI in 2017 to guide private practice doctors and physicians in transition through the complexities of malpractice insurance.
Outside of work, Max, his wife Kristen (a Physician Assistant), and their four kids enjoy the outdoors and attending the kids’ sporting events. Contact Max for malpractice insurance questions.
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