What MDA National does

MDA National is an Australian doctor-owned mutual Medical Defence Organisation founded in 1925 (originally as the Medical Defence Association of Western Australia) and headquartered in Perth. It provides professional indemnity insurance and medico-legal support to medical practitioners across all career stages and specialties, from medical students and interns through to specialists, international medical graduates, and practice owners. Its member base exceeds 44,000 across Australia, served through a direct-to-member model via phone (1800 011 255), online quote/application, a Member Online Services portal, and a mobile app.

The core product suite comprises Medical Indemnity Insurance and Practice Indemnity Insurance, administered through wholly-owned subsidiary MDA National Insurance Pty Ltd (AFS Licence 238073), alongside government schemes such as the Premium Support Scheme and Run Off Cover Indemnity Scheme. Members receive 24/7 access to an in-house medico-legal team of doctors, lawyers and medical defence experts, a Learning Management System delivering CPD-recognised workshops and webinars, cyber risk support, biannual Defence Update publications, and member discounts of up to 30% on equipment, textbooks and career development. The technology stack is a conventional insurance/medico-legal services platform: member self-service portal, LMS, mobile app, and case management tooling, with a current core systems upgrade underway.

The revenue model is subscription/recurring, generated from risk-rated annual insurance premiums calculated by specialty, 10-year claims history, investigations and practice type, with quarterly and monthly instalment options. Distribution is direct (no resellers), supplemented by referral alliances with AMA Western Australia, ASO, and Rural Doctors Association of Australia, plus community partnerships such as Binar Futures. As a mutual, MDA National has no external shareholders and does not publish financial results.

Name

MDA National

Legal name

MDA National Limited

Website

https://mdanational.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

MDA National is a 100-year-old, doctor-owned Australian mutual providing professional indemnity insurance and 24/7 medico-legal support to over 44,000 members across all medical career stages and specialties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Professional Indemnity Insurance Premiums: MDA National generates revenue primarily through professional indemnity insurance premiums paid by members. The insurance covers medical practitioners across all specialties and career stages, with premiums calculated based on specialty, claims history, and risk factors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MDA National is a doctor-owned mutual and medical defence organisation providing professional indemnity insurance and medico-legal support to Australian doctors across all specialties and career stages. It offers 24/7 in-house medico-legal advice, practice indemnity cover, and CPD-recognised education.

Product overview

MDA National is a doctor-owned Medical Defence Organisation providing a comprehensive suite of medico-legal protection and insurance products for Australian doctors. The core offerings include Medical Indemnity Insurance and Practice Indemnity Insurance, supplemented by government programs like the Premium Support Scheme (PSS) and Run Off Cover Indemnity Scheme (ROCS). Member services include 24/7 medico-legal advice, a Learning Management System (LMS) for CPD education, cyber risk support, and the Defence Update publication. The company serves over 44,000 members across all career stages from medical students to specialists, and all practice settings from public hospitals to private practice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Indemnity Insurance Comprehensive professional indemnity insurance tailored to doctors' specialty and career stage, providing coverage for medical practitioners across Australia.
• Practice Indemnity Insurance Professional indemnity coverage for medical practices, practice managers, and practice owners.
• Premium Support Scheme (PSS) Australian Government scheme to assist eligible medical practitioners in meeting medical indemnity insurance costs when premiums exceed 7.5% of private gross annual billings.
• 24/7 Medico-legal Advice & Support Round-the-clock access to expert medico-legal support and advice delivered by an in-house team of medico-legal experts including doctors, lawyers and medical defence experts.
• Education & CPD Resources Learning Hub (LMS) providing CPD-recognised workshops, webinars, e-learning activities, and educational resources for continuing professional development.
• Run Off Cover Indemnity Scheme (ROCS) Federal government's Run-off Cover Scheme providing coverage for doctors who cease private practice due to retirement, permanent disability, or death.
• Cyber Risk Support Support services for medical practices to manage and mitigate cyber security risks.
• Member Online Services Portal Online self-service portal for members to access policy documents, claims history, and member services.
• Defence Update Publications Biannual member publication providing medico-legal updates, articles, case studies, and industry insights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Discounts up to 30% on medical equipment, scrubs, textbooks, and career development courses for members

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Binar FuturesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Community partnership supporting the Binar Health Embassy initiative which provides health education and medical check-ups for Aboriginal adolescents through basketball events in regional Western Australia. MDA National supports member doctors volunteering at health check events and provides funding for the programme. Collaboration with St John of God Healthcare for medical services at events.
• Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MDA National is a major sponsor of RDAA providing advocacy and support for members servicing rural and remote communities. Partnership includes Destination Rural Bursary programme offering 7x bursaries of $1,500 AUD each for junior doctors undertaking rural clinical placements, conference attendance, or skills workshops. The bursary also covers travel, accommodation and other expenses for rural medicine development.
• AMA Western Australia (AMAWA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMDA National & AMA Western Australia alliance offering exclusive benefits to AMAWA members including discounted medical indemnity insurance rates and combined advocacy for Western Australian doctors.
• ASO (Australian Surgery Online)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing exclusive benefits and discounts for ASO members accessing MDA National insurance products and services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Avant Mutual: Australia's largest doctor-owned Medical Defence Organisation and the principal direct competitor to MDA National. Avant provides medical indemnity insurance and medico-legal support to a larger member base of Australian doctors across all specialties, operating the same mutual model and competing head-to-head for junior doctor acquisition and GP practice contracts.
• MIGA (Medical Insurance Group Australia): Australian medical indemnity insurer providing professional indemnity to doctors and medical students. MIGA is a direct competitor in the same Australian MDO market, offering comparable medical indemnity products and medico-legal support services to a similar customer base of doctors and practice owners.
• Medical Protection Society (MPS): International Medical Defence Organisation (UK-based) that also serves members in Australia and other countries. MPS provides the same core medical indemnity and medico-legal defence services to doctors and is a direct competitor in Australia for IMG and specialist market segments.
• Medical Defense Union (MDU): UK-based international Medical Defence Organisation providing medical indemnity and medico-legal advice to doctors across multiple jurisdictions. MDU is a direct comparator in the MDO category with mutual-style structure, in-house medico-legal expertise, and a focus on career-long member relationships analogous to MDA National.
• The Doctors Company: US physician-owned medical professional liability insurer (part of TDC Group), providing medical malpractice insurance to doctors and healthcare professionals. While US-focused, it is the closest international analog to a doctor-owned mutual serving the medical professional indemnity category and offers comparable medico-legal support capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Coverys: US medical professional liability insurer providing medical malpractice coverage to hospitals, healthcare systems, and physicians. Coverys is a broader incumbent in the same medical indemnity category as MDA National, with deeper claims-management infrastructure but a commercial (not mutual) ownership model.
• ProAssurance: US specialty insurer focused on medical professional liability for healthcare providers and physicians. ProAssurance is a broad incumbent in medical professional indemnity comparable to MDA National's product line, though operating at much larger scale and as a publicly-traded commercial insurer.
• Guild Insurance: Australian specialty insurer focused on healthcare professionals and ancillary medical providers (allied health, pharmacists, dentists). Guild overlaps with MDA National in providing professional indemnity to Australian healthcare practitioners, though its specialty breadth differs from MDA's doctor-only focus.
• NORCAL Mutual Insurance Company: US physician-owned mutual medical professional liability insurer (now part of ProAssurance). NORCAL's mutual model and physician-led governance are structurally analogous to MDA National's doctor-owned mutual, providing medical malpractice coverage to doctors with a similar member-oriented ethos.

Regional players

• Tego Insurance: Australian specialty insurer providing professional indemnity and medical malpractice cover. Tego operates in the same Australian market as MDA National with overlapping customer segments (medical and healthcare professionals) but does not focus exclusively on the doctor-owned mutual MDO niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mda-national
• Xx.com/mdanational
• Facebookfacebook.com/mdanational.com.au

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MDA National