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A nationwide survey of doctors
suggests that a dozen states are in the midst of a medical liability insurance
crisis, causing physicians to either limit services, close practices,
or move to other states.
The AMA said costs for medical
liability insurance, which insures doctors against malpractice lawsuits,
could reach as much as $200,000 or more
annually for some physicians, such as surgeons or obstetricians.
Thirty more states are showing
signs of the same problems, which are driven by skyrocketing malpractice
insurance premium increases and a withdrawal of some insurance companies
from the market.
The states "in crisis"
are Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.
The only states that have escaped
the current crisis are states that enacted law reforms during similar
liability crises in the 1970s and 1980s, according to the AMA. Those states -- California,
Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, New Mexico and Wisconsin -- all have laws
that limit the amount paid to patients for pain and suffering and limit
the amount lawyers can charge for contingency fees.
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