Latest Medical Professional Liability Headlines

Superior Court Decision May Impact Occupational and Medical Clinics

Nov 30 2005 // A Superior Court decision to award Palm Medical Group Inc. $1.13 million in a dispute with State Fund (Palm Medical Group v. State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF)) may affect hundreds of other occupational clinics in...

D.C. Council Takes Up Med-Mal Reform But Bypasses Caps

Nov 23 2005 // Some potentially explosive lawmaking got off to a mellow start this week, as the City Council’s health committee heard testimony on a bill that seeks to reduce incidents of medical malpractice and bring down...

Insurers, Nonprofits Offer Low-Income Loans to Health Clinics

Nov 22 2005 // Impact Community Capital, a consortium of major insurance companies, and NCB Development Corp. (NCBDC) have teamed to offer as much as $50 million in low-interest loans to community health clinics that have difficulty...

Indiana DOI Increases Copying Charges

Nov 21 2005 // The Indiana Department of Insurance adopted its final rule on the guidelines for medical records copying charges, increasing those charges over objections voiced last summer by state insurance associations. According to...

Washington Voters Reject Malpractice Caps

Nov 21 2005 // Voters in this month’s election voted no to a pair of Washington ballot proposals that would have, if passed, reportedly protected patients and removed a burden for doctors when it comes to climbing malpractice...

Washington Voters Reject Malpractice Caps

Nov 20 2005 // Voters in this month’s election voted no to a pair of Washington ballot proposals that would have, if passed, reportedly protected patients and removed a burden for doctors when it comes to climbing malpractice...

Houston’s Mid-Continent Teams with ASPN to Provide Liability Coverage for Health Care Professionals

Nov 15 2005 // Aon Specialty Product Network (ASPN) announced it has partnered with Mid-Continent General Agency, a managing general underwriter and program manager based in Houston, to provide liability insurance products for health...

Auto Fraud Case Link Suspected as Discarded Medical Records Discovered in Longwood, Fla.

Nov 15 2005 // A trash bin in Longwood, Fla. near Orlando has revealed boxes of medical records containing photographs, names, Social Security numbers and other personal information about chiropractic patients in Lawrence, Mass. treated...

Wis. Legislature Passes Medical Malpractice Cap Bill

Nov 9 2005 // The Wisconsin legislature passed Assembly Bill 766, which restores caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases. “The recent Supreme Court ruling invalidating caps on non-economic damages was troubling...

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE MEASURE DEBATED

Nov 7 2005 // Washingtonians are debating a measure that seeks to lower liability costs and could drastically affect the state’s medical and insurance communities. I-336 is on the state’s November ballot and would establish...

News Briefs

Nov 6 2005 // MASSACHUSETTS Sprinkler Opposition: Dozens of Massachusetts restaurants and private clubs are appealing a state mandate in that they install sprinkler systems, arguing that they are being misclassified as nightclubs. The...

Nov 6 2005 // Wholesaler AVRECO has added Charles Becker as assistant vice president on its health care staff at its Chicago location. Becker is responsible for the marketing and sales of AVRECO’s specialty health care...

News Briefs

Nov 6 2005 // California CDI Amends Proposed “Action Notice” Filing Regulations The California Department of In-surance has deleted a section of proposed regulations that would have required insurers to notify CDI when a...

Rutecky Named Willis Senior Vice President in Atlanta

Oct 26 2005 // Jennifer Rutecky has been named senior vice president, Healthcare Practice principal, by Willis Group Holdings Ltd. In New York. Rutecky will be based in Atlanta. Rutecky is charged with regional growth and developing...

N.J. Issues First Subsidies to Doctors for Malpractice Premiums

Oct 25 2005 // New Jersey Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Donald Bryan announced that the first checks to help doctors pay high malpractice insurance premiums are in the mail. The subsidies are being distributed to eligible...

Pa. Governor Hails Improvements in Med-Mal Insurance Market

Oct 24 2005 // Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell said that his state has turned the corner on improving its medical malpractice insurance market thanks in part to recent legislative and court reforms and he urged legislators to...

Weak Competition Drives N.H. to Require Prior OK of Med-Mal Rates

Oct 20 2005 // Medical malpractice insurers writing in New Hampshire will be required to get advance approval of any rate changes during the next year following an order by Insurance Commissioner Roger Sevigny. The switch to prior...

Study Finds Fewer Med-Mal Claims Against Hospitals and Physicians

Oct 18 2005 // While the severity of malpractice claims continues to rise – growing at a rate of 7.5 percent annually – the frequency of malpractice claims has decreased by 1 percent over the past year, according to the 2005...

ProMutual Stays on Course as Medical Liability Market Starts Moving Again

Oct 17 2005 // Richard Brewer likens the medical liability business to a barge floating down the Mississippi. “You’re never quite sure what it’s going to look like around the bend,” he explained. As president and...

People

Oct 17 2005 // Nancy C. Gates was honored by the Professional Insurance Agents of Georgia as its 2005 Outstanding Certified Insurance Service Representative. Since 1996, Gates has been a commercial lines, large account representative...