2005-08-24 15:44:27
D.C. Insurers raising med mal rates despite decline in claims
In a new ad campaign in Washington, DC, AHIP asserts that malpractice lawsuits cost District residents millions per year. The solution to his "crisis" they say is to take away the legal rights of injured patients, i.e. medical malpractice caps. However, a new analysis of statements filed with the DC Insurance Commissioner reveals that lawsuits aren\'t what is actually driving insurance costs up in DC. In fact, over the last five years, while insurers raised premiums by 51%, claims paid actually decreased 9%. This news follow on the heels of a national study showing the 15 leading malpractice insurers more than doubled premiums since 2000, while paid claims remained flat.
This leads us to the question, why are insurance rates still going up? Could profit and greed be a motive?
