In malpractice cases, higher defense costs and malpractice premiums are ultimately passed down to patients through higher physician fees, according to a New England Journal of Medicine study reported on Philly.com.
For physicians, the financial burden of malpractice cases varies widely across specialties and can cost tens of thousands, even if a patient does not receive a payout. According to the study, cardiologists typically spend the most on malpractice cases, averaging more than $83,000 for paid claims.
Claims taking longer to defend – typically up to two years or more – result in more expensive payments. But according to Jeffrey Segal, MD, CEO of Medical Justice, a significant number of cases that come through the legal system aren't won by the patient.
"We see here many claims are coming through that don't have merit," he says. "In a perfect legal system, you'd have the dollars going to a patient who is injured by medical negligence. This reaffirms that it's a system that takes a lot of time and is very expensive."
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