Online Background Check: Physician Malpractice

PA HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT COUNCIL REPORTS HOSPITAL MALPRACTICE EXPENSES Harrisburg, PA - May 2, 2005 - Pennsylvania's 182 general acute care (GAC) hospitals reported a total of $636 million in medical malpractice expenses in fiscal year 2004, according to a Research Brief released today by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4). Hospital malpractice insurance expenses represent 2.67% of the total statewide net patient revenue (NPR), indicating that $2.67 of every $100 paid for hospital-associated patient care was used to satisfy malpractice insurance costs. Hospital malpractice expenses represent only a portion of the malpractice expenses incurred by the health care industry.

In Florida medical malpractice awards caps were decided upon after three special sessions in 2003. The Florida legislature and Governor Jeb Bush compromised on a $500,000 per physician cap on pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice liability cases. The pain and suffering limit was raised to $2.5 million in cases involving death or catastrophic injury.