Average med mal indemnity payment up 20% over 10 years: Report
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The average indemnity paid for physicians’ medical malpractice claims increased 20% from 2010 to 2019, to $411,053, according to a report issued by Boston-based medical liability insurer Coverys.
The report, issued Friday, examined 11,907 events related to 20,211 closed Coverys claims during the 10-year period.
Deaths accounted for 23.8% of events, and 37.5% of indemnity paid, according to the study.
The top allegations were surgery- and procedure-related, accounting for 29.2% of claims, followed by diagnosis-related, at 27.3%. Combined, the two categories accounted for 59% of indemnity paid.
A total of 63% of surgical claims involved a surgeon with multiple claims, according to the study.
The top risk management issue in surgeries and procedures was technical skill, accounting for 38.7% of claims. Within that category, 51% involved an unexpected technical problem, 27% a clinical judgment, 12% inadequate skills and 11% the presence of a retained object.
The report notes the Washington-based Institute of Medicine’s 1999 report, “To Err is Human”, was a major catalyst for innovation “that is still playing out today.”
“Change is not happening as quickly and collectively as it needs to,” the report states. “Our data shows improvement in select areas such as increased patient engagement, flattened hierarchies and the ability for staff at all levels to raise concerns, increased teamwork, and better sharing of information. However, many areas remain largely unchanged.”
