title: Malpractice premiums and physicians' income: perceptions of a crisis conflict with empirical evidence.
abstract: The conventional wisdom is that malpractice premiums have steadily risen and now constitute a crisis for medical practice. The best available data suggest otherwise. American Medical Association (AMA) surveys of self-employed physicians from 1970 to 2000 indicate that premiums rose until 1986, then declined until 1996, rose thereafter, but were lower in 2000 than in 1986. Other items represented a much greater share of total practice expenses in 1970 yet increased rapidly until 1996 and moderately thereafter, while spending on premiums fell during 1986-2000. National trends were reflected with variations in obstetrics/gynecology, surgery, and anesthesiology and in nine regions surveyed.
authors: Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. mrodwin@suffolk.edu
authors: Marc A
authors: MA
authors: Rodwin
authors: Hak J
authors: HJ
authors: Chang
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Clausen