Profession
"Never events" trigger more liability claims
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 21, 2009
The frequency of medical liability lawsuits is on the rise, according to Aon's 2009 "Hospital Professional Liability and Physician Liability Benchmark Analysis."
The study by the national insurance brokerage firm projected that claims filings against physicians and hospitals will increase at a 1% annual rate beginning in 2010, compared with an overall drop in claims in recent years. The report, released in October, attributed the uptick largely to new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid rules ceasing payment for so-called "never events," hospital-acquired conditions the agency has deemed to be preventable.
The average award size, meanwhile, is expected to continue to grow at a 4% rate annually, consistent with previous years.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/12/21/prbf1221.htm.
