Pa. Governor Hails Improvements in Med-Mal Insurance Market
East News • October 24, 2005
Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell said that his state has turned the corner on improving its medical malpractice insurance market thanks in part to recent legislative and court reforms and he ...
Insurance Journal is not responsible for the content of the message below.
Subject: Pennsylvania Remains in Severe Medical Liability Crisis
Posted On: October 25, 2005, 9:48 am CDT
Posted By: Ken Kilpatrick
Comment:
Statement from Politically Active Physicians Association (PAPA)
Despite recent claims by Governor Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania remains in a severe health care delivery crisis. Due to escalating medical liability costs fueled by numerous and often frivolous lawsuits, over 2000 surgeons, ob/gyns and family doctors have left the state, curtailed services, or taken early retirement. As a result, patients have died and many women have had to travel distances of up to 100 miles for ob/gyn and pre-natal care.
The governor recently announced that actions taken by his administration ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Åhave started to have an impactÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâàon PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s health care delivery crisis. To support his assertion, the governor indicated that the cost of the primary layer of insurance will be ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅflatÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâàduring 2006 and the MCARE surcharge will be lower for some physicians. He also mentioned several insurance providers who might not raise rates in 2006.
However, those same insurance providers who will not be raising rates during 2006 had imposed double-digit rate increases every year since 2000 ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬" increases that have sometimes exceeded 50%. Coincidently, insurance providers have paid out over $2.01 billion in malpractice awards from 2000-2004. Medical liability insurance rates remain at an all-time high making Pennsylvania a difficult place for practicing physicians to remain and for new physicians to start their new careers.
The governor also cited statistics from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that indicate medical malpractice cases have declined. However, the court did not use all the available data when it compared 2004 lawsuits filed against an average of 2000, 2001, and 2002 lawsuits filed. In point of fact, the number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in 2004 (1,875) was 103 lawsuits more than the 1,712 lawsuits filed in 2003.
The governor also said that changes in venue law had ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Åa tremendous effect of moving cases out of Philadelphia and into their proper counties.ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâàHowever, the governor did not point out that venue change has simply created a suburban sprawl of litigation. Montgomery County has seen a 300% increase in medical malpractice lawsuits. Lancaster has had a 191% percent increase.
Since May 2002, over 7000 lawsuits have been filed against Pennsylvania doctors. That represents 25% of PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s 25,000 active practicing physicians. As required by statute, these lawsuits have been reported to the medical board for investigation. So far, the medical board has investigated approximately 4100 of those cases, and of those, only 12 have been found to warrant further action. Clearly, there is a pattern of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuit filings that continue to plague PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s health care delivery system.
The only significant progress that has been made in PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s health care delivery crisis since Governor Rendell has taken office has happened on the federal level. This summer, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, which creates strong disincentives for those who file frivolous lawsuits. H.R. 5 has been sent to the SenateÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s Committee on the Judiciary, and only Senator Arlen Specter, the Chairman of the Judiciary, stands between the will of the American people and the PresidentÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s signature. For the sake and lives of PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s children, elderly and all patients, we ask Governor Rendell to truly demonstrate his concern for his constituents by joining us in calling upon Senator Specter to schedule hearings on H.R. 5.
P.A.P.A. was formed by concerned medical practitioners to ensure quality medical care can continue to be delivered to patients. The Association is committed to educating the public and the legislative bodies as to the escalating problems that threaten the effectiveness of medical care to those needing such care. For more information log on to www.fightingdocs.com or call 215-271-9590.
Subject: Pennsylvania Remains in Severe Medical Liability Crisis
Despite recent claims by Governor Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania remains in a severe health care delivery crisis. Due to escalating medical liability costs fueled by numerous and often frivolous lawsuits, over 2000 surgeons, ob/gyns and family doctors have left the state, curtailed services, or taken early retirement. As a result, patients have died and many women have had to travel distances of up to 100 miles for ob/gyn and pre-natal care.
The governor recently announced that actions taken by his administration ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Åhave started to have an impactÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâàon PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s health care delivery crisis. To support his assertion, the governor indicated that the cost of the primary layer of insurance will be ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅflatÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâàduring 2006 and the MCARE surcharge will be lower for some physicians. He also mentioned several insurance providers who might not raise rates in 2006.
However, those same insurance providers who will not be raising rates during 2006 had imposed double-digit rate increases every year since 2000 ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬" increases that have sometimes exceeded 50%. Coincidently, insurance providers have paid out over $2.01 billion in malpractice awards from 2000-2004. Medical liability insurance rates remain at an all-time high making Pennsylvania a difficult place for practicing physicians to remain and for new physicians to start their new careers.
The governor also cited statistics from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that indicate medical malpractice cases have declined. However, the court did not use all the available data when it compared 2004 lawsuits filed against an average of 2000, 2001, and 2002 lawsuits filed. In point of fact, the number of medical malpractice lawsuits filed in 2004 (1,875) was 103 lawsuits more than the 1,712 lawsuits filed in 2003.
The governor also said that changes in venue law had ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬Åa tremendous effect of moving cases out of Philadelphia and into their proper counties.ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâàHowever, the governor did not point out that venue change has simply created a suburban sprawl of litigation. Montgomery County has seen a 300% increase in medical malpractice lawsuits. Lancaster has had a 191% percent increase.
Since May 2002, over 7000 lawsuits have been filed against Pennsylvania doctors. That represents 25% of PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s 25,000 active practicing physicians. As required by statute, these lawsuits have been reported to the medical board for investigation. So far, the medical board has investigated approximately 4100 of those cases, and of those, only 12 have been found to warrant further action. Clearly, there is a pattern of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuit filings that continue to plague PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s health care delivery system.
The only significant progress that has been made in PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s health care delivery crisis since Governor Rendell has taken office has happened on the federal level. This summer, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, which creates strong disincentives for those who file frivolous lawsuits. H.R. 5 has been sent to the SenateÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s Committee on the Judiciary, and only Senator Arlen Specter, the Chairman of the Judiciary, stands between the will of the American people and the PresidentÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s signature. For the sake and lives of PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s children, elderly and all patients, we ask Governor Rendell to truly demonstrate his concern for his constituents by joining us in calling upon Senator Specter to schedule hearings on H.R. 5.
P.A.P.A. was formed by concerned medical practitioners to ensure quality medical care can continue to be delivered to patients. The Association is committed to educating the public and the legislative bodies as to the escalating problems that threaten the effectiveness of medical care to those needing such care. For more information log on to www.fightingdocs.com or call 215-271-9590.