The insurance market changes just as the needs of clients change. Several years ago, if a physician wanted to leave a group or close a practice and join another group, he would have very few options. His current claims-made policy would be cancelled and his incumbent insurance company would have to offer an extended reporting period, otherwise known as a “tail policy.” If his current policy had an annual cost of $20,000, the tail policy would range…

Doctors have seen the premiums for their professional liability insurance policies decrease for several years in a row throughout the Southeast.  Physicians have enjoyed decreases since 2004 in many states and now often pay less that 50% for their policies than they did six or seven years ago.  Many states have enacted tort reform and have placed caps on non-economic damages involving medical malpractice lawsuits.  Physicians in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,…

What is the current status of tort reform in Florida regarding medical malpractice lawsuits?  The Supreme Court in Florida is about to decide on Medical Malpractice Caps in the state.  The case currently being evaluated (Evette MccAll v. United States of America S11-1145) was recently presented to the top court in Florida and oral arguments were given on both sides.  The case challenges the law that was enacted in Florida in 2003 which caps non-economic…