Re: Shyam...indictments and litigations.. A way of life in the USA

March 14, 2007

Shyam, I am just following up on your e-mail regarding the practice of medicine

in your part of the world........The American society unfortunately is much more

indictment and litigation prone...I was paying just a shade under 40,000 US

dollars per year last year in 2006 for Medical Malpractice and Liability

Insurance.This covered me for liability as an ER doc, part time hospitalist(I

covered a group for a few weeks a year) and Internist ( I covered my wife's

practice occasionally). You cannot practice medicine without Malpractice

Insurance.This covers you against the economic loss you caused to a patient by

your negligence as well as the non economic cost( pain and suffering).... I had

standard coverage of up to a total of 3 million dollars. If anyone gets sued for

more than that...then bhai saheb... kapde utarne padte hain !! You lose your

life's savings in one stroke.40 million people are uninsured and the average

cost of health care per person in the USA by 2003 data is

around 5000 US dollars per person...Guess who are the patients we fear most as

far as with lawsuits...it is the uninsured... they are the most litigious and

pugnacious by many data sources..Jury awards against doctors are median of 1

million dollars(1995-2001) and average 3.9 million US dollars(1995-2001).54% of

lawsuits settled have been for more than 1 million US dollars. 20 % of

obstetricians have stopped doing obstetrics and do only gynae in states like

Virginia and Pensylvania.Negligence in Child Birth is the highest paying jury

award against doctors. Internists pay anywhere from 10,000-40,000US dollars per

year and more in some states,Surgeons..General Surgeons pay upto a 80-120,000 US

dollars /year...depending on the state they practice in, Super specialists pay

much more... Obstetricians pay so much more in some states that they have been

forced out of practice .....upto 200,000 US dollars and more in some states

....actually I am quoting data from the 2001 -2003

era. It is leading to so much increase in Defensive medicine being practiced

that it is unbelievable...so many unnecessary tests are ordered just to cover

yourself as a physician.....

I am glad it has not touched you guys as yet... I did hear some rumblings at a

Delhi Medical Association meeting in September in New delhi last year

though...beware the world is getting flat! How is it in the UK?

South Africa was cool...we could do whatever as long as it was ethical and the

intent was right....folks were just thankful that we were doing things for them.

Ashish

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