Effects of tort reforms and other factors on medical malpractice insurance premiums. 1990

S Zuckerman, and R R Bovbjerg, and F Sloan
Urban Institute, Washington, DC 20037.

We use state-level data on physician malpractice premiums, claims, and awards, provided by insurance companies for the years 1974 to 1986, to evaluate the effectiveness of the various tort reforms that have been legislated during the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to the tort reforms, our analysis of premiums considers insurers' anticipated losses, returns on investments, the type of insurer, and premium regulation. Our results suggest that the only reforms that significantly lower premiums are those that either impose a cap on the amount of physician liability or reduce the amount of time a plaintiff has to initiate a claim. We also find that premiums are lower when states regulate rates by requiring prior approval of premiums. In addition, it appears that the observed cyclicality in premiums is due, in part, to fluctuations in the real interest rates available to insurers as returns on investments. Unfortunately, we did not find as strong a link between the determinants of premiums, claims, and awards as might be expected.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007344 Insurance Claim Reporting The design, completion, and filing of forms with the insurer. Claim Reporting, Insurance,Reporting, Insurance Claim
D007351 Insurance, Liability Insurance against loss resulting from liability for injury or damage to the persons or property of others. No-Fault Insurance,Insurance, No-Fault,Liability Insurance,No Fault Insurance
D008318 Malpractice Failure of a professional person, a physician or lawyer, to render proper services through reprehensible ignorance or negligence or through criminal intent, especially when injury or loss follows. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed) Professional Negligence,Negligence,Negligence, Professional,Professional Negligences
D012044 Regression Analysis Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable. Regression Diagnostics,Statistical Regression,Analysis, Regression,Analyses, Regression,Diagnostics, Regression,Regression Analyses,Regression, Statistical,Regressions, Statistical,Statistical Regressions
D005249 Fees and Charges Amounts charged to the patient as payer for health care services. Charges,Charges and Fees,Fees,Charge,Fee
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.

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