"Patient stockpile kitty is shrinking" is the heading to today's story from the Evansville Courier&Press series.* The lead (from what I consider the best story in the series so far):
The Indiana Patient's Compensation Fund is paying out more money to victims of medical malpractice than it's collecting. Doctors are concerned. Last year, the fund paid $97.2 million to injured patients and their families. Its revenues totaled not quite $80.6 million. * * *Two other stories today: "Insurance companies faring well in Indiana," and "Doctor discipline rate is low."The fund is financed with an annual surcharge paid by the state's licensed health-care providers - doctors, hospitals, nurses, pharmacists and others. * * *
The department administers the fund as part of a system created by the state's 1975 Medical Malpractice Act, which limits a health-care provider's liability to no more than $100,000 for any single malpractice incident that occurred before July 1, 1999, and no more than $250,000 for incidents after that date. Any damages awarded in excess of those limits are paid from the fund, up to the maximum $1.25 million cap set by the law. In August, State Insurance Commissioner Sally McCarty imposed an immediate 72.6 percent increase in the surcharge.Doctors in high-risk specialties, such as obstetrics and orthopedic surgery, now pay $26,452 a year into the fund. Those who work in medium-risk specialties pay $7,002 a year. And the low-risk physicians, including family practice doctors, pay $3,112 a year. That's on top of the premiums they pay for their private liability insurance.
[More] This AP story was just posted on the IndyStar.com site. The lead:
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Louisville hospital and a doctor have been ordered to pay $27.5 million to the family of a 6-year-old Indiana boy for injuries he suffered during delivery.Posted by Marcia Oddi at April 20, 2004 09:38 AMA Jefferson County jury issued the judgment Friday against Baptist Hospital East and Dr. Maria Schweichler. The jury ordered the doctor to pay $5.4 million to the family of Spencer Sapp and the hospital to pay the rest.