Posted on 05/11/2003 4:10:45 PM PDT by eartotheground
North Florida Surgeons and the medical liability crisis At-a-glance Not a protest, but our only option: North Florida Surgeons decision to close its doors May 2 was not our way of protesting, but the result of crushing economic realities soaring claims, losses and premiums are threatening our survival. A high-quality, experienced practice: North Florida Surgeons was formed in 1996 by combining the practices of about 20 established general surgeons with a combined 140 years of surgical experience. We are a good, veteran practice caught up in this crisis. Filling a community need: In its eight years of operation, North Florida Surgeons has seen more than 88,000 patients and performed more than 107,400 procedures, many involving high-risk cases. The group also has provided about 30 percent of the on-call surgical coverage at the emergency rooms of area hospitals. A small number of claims, yet huge losses: North Florida Surgeons has been sued 39 times for alleged malpractice, or in less than 1/10 of one percent of the procedures weve performed. Weve never lost a case that has gone before a jury. Yet weve had to pay out more than $6.4 million in legal fees, settlement costs and reserves. Claims rising sharply: Even though we have consistently performed high-quality surgeries, claims against our practice have steadily risen year-by year, from two in 1996 to a projected 12 this year. Lawyers, not patients, received payments: Of the $6.4 million we paid out in medical liability cases, we estimate that nearly 70 percent was consumed by the legal system only 30 percent went to the patients who alleged they were injured. Nearly every surgeon sued: During our eight years in practice all but three of our surgeons have been sued at least once. This is an astronomically high percentage, given the veteran talent we have on staff. Staggering premium increases: Between 2001 and 2002 alone, the annual medical liability premium paid by North Florida Surgeons skyrocketed from about $450,000 to more than $1.2 million. Although were paying three times as much for insurance, we now have one forth the amount of coverage. Its not enough to adequately protect our physicians. Few insurance options on horizon: Our insurer, TIG, recently informed us that continuing coverage is unlikely after June 30, and even if it is available, it will be substantially more expensive. Insurers rates are justified: No one likes seeing their premiums triple in one year. However, our analysis shows the increases insurers sought our justified. Despite our good track record, insurers pay $1.88 in claims for every $1 in premium that we pay. The Legislature must act now: The Florida Legislature let all citizens down by failing to fix the states broken medical liability system during the regular session. Now they must act in the May 12-27 special session. They must pass a comprehensive solution passed on the 60 recommendations of the Governors Task Force of independent university leaders. If they dont, Florida is facing a medical meltdown, and many more situations like North Florida Surgeons.
I don't see how a whole state (much less an individual hospital) could resist a massive, coordinated refusal to carry malpractice insurance by even half its physicians.
A less satisfactory solution would be to carry the minimum allowable, and contribute any money saved to a legal defense fund to fight the trial lawyers on every single case. I think carrying a gold-plated malpractice policy just makes you that much fatter a target for the ambulance chasers.
-ccm
I don't see how a whole state (much less an individual hospital) could resist a massive, coordinated refusal to carry malpractice insurance by even half its physicians.
A less satisfactory solution would be to carry the minimum allowable, and contribute any money saved to a legal defense fund to fight the trial lawyers on every single case, regardless of the merits. I think carrying a gold-plated malpractice policy just makes you that much fatter a target for the ambulance chasers.
-ccm
Oh that's cute. A single, second-hand anecdote from twenty years ago, and you feel justified in slamming doctors for "making a killing."
Let me be the first to inform you, Mr. Van Winkle, that in those twenty years, we have seen the rise of HMO's, whose very reason for existence is to cut payments to doctors. We have seen slashing cuts in Medicare and Medicad payments. We have seen vast increases in frivolous lawsuits and a corresponding increase in malpractice insurance.
A doctor making a million dollars a year is a distinct rarity. Practically all of them are plastic surgeons etc. who do elective procedures and insist on being paid up front, cash or credit card. This was true twenty years ago and remains true today.
Or perhaps they were crooks. Maybe that is why your IRS agent was investigating them.
In any case, it is certain that there are orders of magnitude more physicians earning less than $100,000 than those earning $1 million. Pediatricians and family doctors, the front line foot soldiers of medicine, have been particularly hard hit by all the cuts. Most of them would have been far better off financially, when you consider all their uncompensated years of training, if they had taken an apprenticeship in plumbing.
-ccm
What should they make? What does the typical malpractice attorney make in a year, and how does the training compare? Who does the most good?
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