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Facts
Healthcare
Liability Insurance Statistics
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Florida physicians have been hit with Healthcare Liability Insurance (HLI)
premium increases of 25-350% in one year and hospital premiums have increased
on average of 140% over a 2-year period.
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63 Florida hospitals have closed in the past 15 years while Florida’s
population grew faster than any other state in the union.
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In 2001, OB/GYNs, general surgeons, and internists in Dade and Broward counties
paid the highest HLI premiums in the entire United States.
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Neurosurgeons have seen double and triple digit rate increases.
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Central Florida Cardiothroascic Surgery Center in Orlando paid $54,000 in 2001
to insure two surgeons. It will pay $140,000 to insure the same two surgeons in
2002.
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In Tampa, one family practice physician’s premiums increased almost 400%.
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There were 50 companies that sold HLI for Florida physicians in 1998. Now there
are less than 10.
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Three of the 10 writers of HLI ended coverage for Florida physicians in 2001.
Lawsuit
Statistics
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The median jury award increased 43% from 1999 to 2000—seven times the rate of
inflation.
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The average jury award in medical liability suits has tripled since 1994.
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Defensive medicine costs (healthcare costs that result when physicians order
additional tests or refer more often because of the fear of a lawsuit) adds an
additional $50 billion per year to the cost of healthcare (The Daily Record,
January 20, 2002).
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On average, patients retain only 43 cents of each dollar won in a malpractice
case. The remaining 57 cents goes primarily to legal fees and expenses.
Reform
Statistics
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Healthcare liability adds $60-110 billion to the cost of healthcare each year,
which means higher health insurance premiums and higher medical costs for all
Americans (Department of Health and Human Services, July 24, 2002).
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Healthcare liability insurance reform would result in a $1.5 billion savings
over ten years.
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