Foreword
Hospitals, physicians’ groups, and State laws require doctors and other health care providers to carry medical liability (malpractice) insurance. The cost of coverage varies by specialty and location. Such specialties as emergency medicine, anesthesiology, and obstetrics/gynecology carry greater risk of injury or error and therefore have among the highest premiums.In recent years, insurance companies have begun increasing medical liability premiums, after more than a decade of fairly stable rates, with widespread consequences. A report issued in July 2002 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services detailed restrictions in services and risks to patients that have resulted from these…
