Before getting into medical malpractice insurance, I was a high school English teacher. In my 10th grade British Lit class, I had the privilege of teaching some of Shakespeare’s sonnets and plays every year. I say it was a privilege because I love Shakespeare and enjoyed teaching a variety of his works: Julius Caesar, Macbeth,
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Medical Liability Rates and the Truth About Malpractice Premiums
In our last post we did a quick overview of the numbers from this year’s annual malpractice insurance rate survey put out by Medical Liability Monitor. There, we saw that the trend of static to declining rates continued for 2013 as it has for the past several years. Today, we’re going to step back from the
READ MOREDeclining Rates for Medical Liability Insurance
Good News for Doctors (and Insurers) According to a recent poll from Medical Liability Monitor—a malpractice insurance trade newsletter—the medical professional liability insurance industry has experienced yet another year of declining rates across the U.S., the eighth such year in a row. Medical Liability Monitor publishes the results of a comprehensive poll that includes 75% or more of
READ MORETips for Preventing a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit – Document It!
Over at the Monthly Prescribing Reference (MPR) website, the story is told of a doctor who was sued by a patient in a situation where there was, in fact, a less than ideal outcome, but not due to fault or malpractice on the part of the doctor or any health professional. The MPR article uses this story to make the point
READ MORECan Midwives Help Fill the Gap Left by a Shortage of Ob/Gyns?
Wow, our recent post on the growing shortage of ob/gyns and the possibility that it points to a broader trend really sparked a lot of interest. One of the things that several of our readers commented on was the potential role of midwives in mitigating some of this shortage, so I thought we’d spend a little time
READ MOREIs The Growing Shortage of Ob/Gyns a Sign of Things to Come?
It’s no secret that the shortage of ob/gyns relative to need in the U.S. isn’t what it should be. There simply aren’t enough doctors in the field, and certainly not enough willing to do deliveries and high-risk procedures to meet even the current demand. But the bigger questions are, 1.) will this trend continue? and,
READ MOREManaging the Risks of HIPAA Rules & Regulations
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the final rule that strengthens the HIPAA laws and regulations and puts in place many conditions of the HITECH Act. Obviously, it’s been every medical provider’s goal to be compliant to the HIPAA rules from the very beginning; so why the panic over the HIPAA compliance deadline of
READ MOREHIPAA Goes Into Effect on 9/23/2013 – Are You Ready?
Are you ready for September 23, 2013? That’s when full enforcement of the Omnibus Rule modifying HIPAA goes into effect. While there are many areas of compliance contemplated under this watershed shift in regulation one of the most important to consider, whether you are a private practice, a hospital, an insurance broker, or even just
READ MOREMalpractice Payments and the Cost of Premiums
Numerous reports have come out as of late, suggesting that new research debunks the idea that high malpractice payouts are significant factors in the cost of medical professional liability insurance premiums. These studies often point out situations where the number of malpractice suits remained the same or declined over a period of time and/or where malpractice
READ MOREWhat to Expect from the Affordable Care Act
Like it or not, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) appears to be here to stay, and it’s going to mean changes for just about everyone. Across the entire medical industry – from patients to doctors, from hospitals to groups, and from insurers to brokers – change is coming. What are some of
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