Malpractice Rates for Massachusetts Physicians Lower Than In 1990s
Researchers at Suffolk University’s Law school released a study indicating the purported malpractice premium rates chasing doctors away from Massachusetts make be contrary. In fact, Physicians in Massachusetts pay lower premium rates for malpractice coverage than they did in 1990. The researchers, led by health policy scholar Mark Rodwin, examined data on the state’s physicians from 1975 to 2005 and found that Massachusetts ranked fourth in the U.S. for the amount paid out for malpractice related settlements. Rodwin concluded, “If you don't find a crisis here, you're probably not going to find one nationally,” adding, “Clearly there are some increases in premiums and high premiums for a small percentage of doctors in three specialty groups (obsetrics/gynecology, neurological surgery and spinal surgery), but that's entirely different for the rest of doctors.”
