The Basic Facts About Medical Malpractice Insurance
Did you know that more than 60 percent of practicing physicians over age 55 have been sued? These numbers, released in August 2010 from an American Medical Association AMA) study, emphasize the importance of making sure that you have good physician malpractice insurance coverage.
To make sure that you’re getting affordable rates on the best medical malpractice insurance coverage for your practice, you need to do some comparison shopping. When you look at the offerings from different insurers, you may be surprised to see how much you can save on physician malpractice insurance simply by choosing a different insurance carrier.
The Need for Medical Malpractice Insurance
The AMA study reported that 69.2 percent of general surgeons and obstetrician-gynecologists had been sued, while 38.9 percent of family physicians and 34 percent of general internists had been sued. Pediatricians and psychiatrists were least likely to be sued, according to the AMA.
That doesn’t mean that physician malpractice insurance isn’t necessary if you’re not in one of those higher-risk categories, however. Although physicians responding to the AMA study reported that 65 percent of the cases against them were dropped, dismissed or withdrawn, the legal costs of disposing of such cases was more than $22,000. If a case made it to court, the legal costs exceeded $100,000.
Unless you want to bear such costs on your own, you’ll want good medical malpractice insurance. With the right physician malpractice insurance policy, you can financially protect your practice and your personal assets. Your medical malpractice insurance policy will help cover any legal costs as well as the cost of any judgments against you.
To increase your chances of being in that 39 percent of physicians who have not been sued, and to decrease the rates you’ll pay for physician malpractice insurance, you can ask for assistance in setting up a risk management program for your office. Although there are no guarantees–you may just come across that patient who’s determined to sue–having a good risk management plan in place may help you avoid patient claims against your practice.
Finding Good Rates on Medical Malpractice Insurance
When it comes time to do your rate comparison shopping for medical malpractice insurance, remember this website: netquote.com. At netquote.com, we make it easy for you to get the malpractice insurance policies that you want at an affordable price. Simply fill out a the rate quote form–no need to talk to multiple agents or fill out multiple forms–and netquote.com will return competitive quotes from several leading insurers in your area.
Don’t get caught without the malpractice insurance coverages that your practice needs. Go to netquote.com today to find the policy and the rates that are best for you.
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