Side Note: This article reports on newly released data from the AMA.  The AMA’s survey collected a variety of information on malpractice cases  from a large number of physicians.  The results showed that a sizable majority of physicians over 55 have been sued, and that a majority of doctors will probably be sued in their […]

side note: Once again a state faces a critical choice in keeping high-risk specialties within it’s borders. Nevada faces a crucial test over the law that limits non-economic damages in medical malpractice suits to $350,000. Most physicians, and Cunningham Group, argue that this has allowed physicians from most specialties to remain in the state b/c […]

Side Note: this article from the Wall Street Journal blog reports on new challenges to caps on non-economic damages in Nevada malpractice cases.  Opponents of tort reform are arguing that the cap is per claim, not per event, a murky point in the law.  This development is cause for concern, as Nevada has had problems […]

Side Note: this article highlights the results of a study that examined expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases.  The researchers found that an expert witness in a lawsuit against a radiologist testified that the original doctor should have recognized a fracture in a CT scan, but 31 out of 31 other radiologists who examined the […]

Side Note: this article from The Hill reports on a bill currently in Congress, aimed at subsidizing malpractice insurance costs for physicians volunteering at community health centers.  Currently, the high liability insurance cost of volunteering makes it essentially impossible for most physicians to volunteer, though many would like to.  This bill would allow physicians to […]

Side Note: The Wisconsin Supreme Court has found that the state must repay $200M that it took out of the state patient compensation fund for malpractice.  This is a victory for the Wisconsin Medical Association, and for health care consumers in Wisconsin.  A solvent patient compensation fund keeps medical malpractice insurance premiums stable, and in […]

side note: This article from the Associated Press discusses the results of a new survey from the American Medical Association.  The survey showed that 90% of American physicians acknowledge that fear of malpractice lawsuits leads to unnecessary testing, building on earlier results we covered several weeks ago.  The survey’s result is convincing, as the large […]

side note: One of the most serious problems associated with today’s hostile medical liability climate is defensive medicine; doctors are afraid of being sued for the slightest lapse and order tests or carry out procedures they do not truly believe are necessary.  Defensive medicine is partially responsible for the recent steep rise in the number […]

Side Note: As Medicare reimbursement to physicians reaches the date of a scheduled 21% cut, Congress has responded only by pushing the date back and letting the broken system continue.  The Cunningham Group supports the efforts of the AMA and other medical organizations to encourage meaningful action on the Medicare payment issue. by Katherine Hobson […]