In High-Risk Specialties, there is 1 claim per doctor every
2½ years. 1 of 6 physicians is confronted with a malpractice claim every year1
Citing data from a survey by
Medical Liability Monitor, ACOG said that nationally, the
median insurance premium for OB/GYNs increased 167 percent from
1982 to 1998.
In 2000, it rose seven percent. In 2001,
it went up another 12.5 percent. For 2002, the expected increase
is 15 percent.
"Across the country, liability insurance for
obstetrician-gynecologists is becoming unaffordable or even
unavailable," said ACOG President Thomas Purdon, MD.
In addition to the
increases in premiums, some carriers are closing up shop.
In December, 2001, The
St. Paul Companies, the nation’s second-largest medical
malpractice underwriter, insuring some 40,000 doctors in 45
states, announced that it would phase out of the business. The
reason: it was losing too much money--$1 billion in the last five
years, according to CBS News. Other companies have also left the
market or become insolvent.2
As physician and hospital malpractice
insurance costs skyrocket, patients will end up paying for
excessive litigation
and higher insurance premiums through
higher co-payments, added taxes, and most importantly,
dramatically reduced access to quality healthcare.3
Studies have shown an EMR is one of the most effective ways to
Reduce Liability Risk.
Despite this fact, less than 5% of
offices have implemented an Electronic Medical Record4
