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Physician survey: Lawsuits inflate healthcare costs

LTC Liability Monitor, April 8, 2004

Medical lawsuits drive up the cost of healthcare, according to a survey of physicians who practice in states notorious for healthcare litigation.

An American Tort Reform Association survey of doctors in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and West Virginia found the majority believed the legal system hampers their ability to practice medicine and increases the cost of care, reported BestWire.

Additionally, survey respondents said the growing threat of litigation forces them to practice defensive medicine-such as ordering tests out of fear of being sued, not medical necessity.

Two-thirds of physicians surveyed believed "inflammatory advertising" put patients at risk and deterred them from seeking appropriate medical care, according to BestWire.

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