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Maryland doctors sick of high insurance premiums

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, November 23, 2004

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Along with the holiday season, most doctors are faced with paying their medical malpractice premiums. In Maryland, it's nothing to be merry about. Doctors there are being hit with a 33% rise in rates and a hefty decrease in rebates—many are still trying to get over last year's increase of 28%. Some doctors are so outraged that they are threatening to scale back on medical services or quit their practices altogether. This isn't good news for hospitals, which are already having trouble finding obstetricians, surgical specialists, and doctors to cover their emergency departments.

Baltimore economist Anirban Basu blames the increase in insurance premiums on a steady rise in malpractice settlements, which rose from $234,000 in 2000 to $336,000 in 2003. Basu was involved in a study commissioned by the Maryland Hospital Association and the Maryland Business Council, that forecasts the future for Maryland's healthcare system. He anticipates that a rise in malpractice rates will drain more than a doctor's wallet, it could affect the economy as a whole with fewer new jobs, less spending on medical equipment, and a decline in consumer

To read the full article, which was published in The Capital, an Annapolis, MD-based newspaper, and learn what lawmakers are trying to do to alleviate high insurance rates, visit http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2004/11_17-29/GOV.

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