This study by “Americans for Insurance Reform” says that the so-called crisis in the medical malpractice insurance market is over.
The introduction to the report:
“The most recent data from the Council of Independent Agents and Brokers now confirms that the large medical malpractice insurance rate increases that took hold around the nation in 2001 and 2002 have ended.
The average rate hike for doctors over the past six months has been 0 percent. This is following similar results for the last quarter of 2004, which saw rates rising only 3 percent at the end of that year. By comparison, rates jumped 63 percent during the same quarter of 2002.
This phenomenon it is occurring whether or not states enacted restrictions on patients’ legal rights, such as “caps” on compensation.”
Anticipating this, the health care industry has abandoned this as a argument for restricting patient rights. The new position: holding health care providers responsible for the harm they cause restricts access to health care.
Yeah, personal responsibility is a difficult thing for many people to accept.