How do we solve the problem of high malpractice insurance costs while still protecting patients from bad doctors?
If I had the answer to this question, I could easily claim my seat in Congress. Simply put, there is no clear answer. Malpractice costs are costly being balanced with supporting our health-care community, offering quality treatment to patients, and trying to weed out the bad apples. Insurance companies do reward “good” physicians with reduced premiums and rebated renewals. There are also a growing number of high-risk insurance organizations for high-risk doctors, which require the insured to carry high SIRs (self-insured retentions), thus requiring the riskier doctor to pay for some of any judgment or settlement. These types of retention groups may be a way to contain malpractice costs by segregating those health-care providers deemed to be higher risks.
