medical malpractice – Healthcare Economist

Who has the highest malpractice premiums?

2013-02-11Jason Shafrin6 Comments

Which specialties face the highest malpractice premiums? Premiums are a function of the expected cost to insure a physician against potential malpractice suits. Thus, premiums are higher for specialties that have a higher risk of having a claim filed against them or specialties where the average payout conditional on having a claim is higher. A…

Is ‘Loser Pays’ the solution for frivolous Medical Malpractice Lawsuits?

2011-12-262011-12-26Jason Shafrin2 Comments

Frivolous lawsuits may increase medical spending in two ways: i) they increase the cost for physicians to practice medicine by raising malpractice insurance premiums, and ii) they increase utilization of unnecessary services when physicians practice ‘defensive medicine’. Creating a ‘loser pays’ tort system may be the best way to stop frivolous lawsuits. Loser-pays in the U.S.…