Del. Chief Vows to Lower Med-Mal Rates Using Claims Tracking System

Delaware’s new system to track the results of medical malpractice claims is up and running, with the goal of lowering medical costs by proving to insurance companies that Delaware is a favorable place to insure doctors and that rates for Delaware doctors should be lower.

Insurance Commissioner Matt Denn said that his office had reached agreement with the Delaware Board of Medical Practice on a new system that will be used for reporting resolution of medical malpractice cases to the Insurance Commissioner’s office. The data collection initiative is one of several steps Denn has taken to try to address the cost of health care.

The statistics generated by these new reports, which are required by recently-enacted legislation drafted by the Denn’s office, will, he hopes, provide the his office with information to use in his efforts to recruit new medical malpractice insurance carriers to Delaware.

“Many of our doctors are paying too much for malpractice insurance, ” Denn said. “The information generated by these reports can demonstrate to medical malpractice carriers that Delaware is a good place to do business. We have very conservative civil juries and a very competent medical community in Delaware. The statistics we gather from these reports will help us to prove that to potential new carriers in a scientific way.”

Under the statute requiring these reports, the information identifying doctors and patients will be kept strictly confidential. The reports will be used to generate statistical information about the Delaware malpractice environment.

“There is no single solution to the growing cost of health care, but this initiative is another important step we can take,” Denn said.