Trends: Malpractice Premiums In Massachusetts, A High-Risk State: 1975 To 2005: If any state has a premium crisis, Massachusetts should, yet premiums were lower in 2005 than in 1990 for nearly all physicians

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 fr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth affairs (Millwood, Va.) Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 835 - 844
Main Authors Rodwin, Marc A, Chang, Hak J, Ozaeta, Melissa M, Omar, Richard J
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.05.2008
Subjects
Health insurance
Health policy
Malpractice
Massachusetts
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Summary: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. Adapted from the source document.
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ISSN:0278-2715
DOI:10.1377/hlthaff.27.3.835