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Malpractice cap leads more physicians to relocate to Texas

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, October 10, 2007

An October 5 New York Times article placed the spotlight on the recent influx of physicians to the Lone Star state.

The reason for the increase, according to the Times' article, is the state's 2003 approval of a constitutional amendment limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits.

According to figures, applications for physician licenses are up 18% in the state since 2003, when the damage caps were enacted. The state's medical board issued a record 980 medical licenses at its last meeting in August, raising the number of doctors in Texas to 44,752, with a backlog of nearly 2,500 applications. But this growth doesn't come without opposition, some experts say the picture may be more complicated and less positive. They question how big a role the cap on malpractice awards has played, arguing that awards in malpractice lawsuits showed little increase in the 12 years before the law changed.

And some critics, including liability lawyers, question whether the changes have left patients more vulnerable. With doctors facing reduced malpractice exposure, they say, many have cut back on their insurance, making it harder for plaintiffs to collect damages.

Click here to read the entire article.

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