Veshland

so hopefully, my site will be back agan.

Malpractice premiums went up 40% last year, and are expected to go up another 40% this year. The problem is so bad that some physicians are leaving their state to practice in a more friendly one. The worst states are the ones that have no cap on payments.

Unfortunately, some states seem to be sue happy, and a lot of frivolous cases are brought up. Even if the cases lose, it costs time, money and emotional duress.

The AMA is trying to curb some of the financial risk by at least protecting the physician’s own personal assets. From Crain’s:

The American Medical Assn.’s policy-making body will vote at its interim meeting next week on a measure designed to protect physicians’ personal assets from being liquidated to pay malpractice settlements. The board of the Chicago-based physicians group wants Congress to amend the federal bankruptcy code to protect homes and retirement savings not already exempted from seizure by creditors. The change would enable physicians who face malpractice judgments that exceed their insurance coverage to hold onto some personal assets

While it stops short of true reform, at least a doc could protect his life to a certain extent. A doc already gives his life to medicine in terms of training and lifestyle — it is at least somewhat comforting to think that he won’t get kicked out of his home and lose his retirement savings. While bad things happen, and some patients should get compensated, I think it definitely goes too far if it forces a doc to essentially become impoverished for the rest of his life.

Posted by veshman at November 24, 2003 10:26 AM
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