Malpractice premiums in Massachusetts, a high-risk state: 1975 to 2005.
Massachusetts has the fourth-highest median malpractice settlement payments for all states. The American Medical Association (AMA) declares it a crisis state. As a test case, we analyzed its premiums from 1975 to 2005. In 2005 mean premiums were $17,810 for the coverage level and policy type most frequently purchased. Most physicians paid lower inflation-adjusted premiums in 2005 than in 1990. Mean premiums increased in only three specialties comprising 4 percent of physicians: obstetrics, neurology, and orthopedists-spinal surgery. However, because of discounts and surcharges, in 2005 premiums within the three highest-risk specialties varied nearly threefold, and nearly one-third paid less than in 1990.
Rodwin
Marc A
MA
Suffolk University Law School in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. mrodwin@suffolk.edu
Chang
Hak J
HJ
Ozaeta
Melissa M
MM
Omar
Richard J
RJ
D007351:Insurance, Liability / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D016365:Liability, Legal / Q000191:economics; D008318:Malpractice / Q000191:economics*; D008404:Massachusetts; D010820:Physicians / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013221:State Health Plans; D014481:United States