As malpractice insurance rates remain high throughout the country, some doctors have started looking for hospitals to hire them or acquire their practices so that they do not have to deal with medical liability insurance premiums. This trend appears to be hitting Pennsylvania physicians and surgeons especially hard.
In addition to (or perhaps partially because of) a harsh medical malpractice insurance climate in Pennsylvania, hospitals are closing and in many areas the ratio of primary care physicians and specialists to residents is low. For example, Marian Community Hospital in Carbondale, PA will close in early 2012 due to fiscal pressures. Hospital closures add increased strain on local physicians, who may have limited hospital privileges and have historically referred patients to a hospital that is now closing. And, for those physicians who own their own practice and are struggling financially, and were looking for the possibility of landing with a hospital instead, that option is gone.
Unfortunately, the situation in Pennsylvania is a microcosm of a scenario that is playing out for doctors and surgeons in all fifty states. Malpractice insurance, which is designed to protect medical professionals from liability lawsuits, is actually making the cost of practicing medicine prohibitively expensive for many professionals. Some of those doctors are seeking fiscal shelter in hospitals, which are also having a difficult time keeping their doors open due to financial problems.
Malpractice Insurance Agency assists doctors, hospitals, locum tenens agencies, and even offers medical clinic malpractice insurance at the best rates available. We know the strain that premiums prices place on your practice, which is why we shop around with the top malpractice insurance companies in your state to find the best deals, so that you don’t have to. Call us at 800.217.4020 or request quotes online anytime.
