1. Fifty-one percent of physicians and 77 percent of surgeons have been named in a malpractice lawsuit.
2. Physician practice owners’ annual malpractice insurance premium is $3,000 less than non-owners. Practice owners’ median annual premium was $9,400 in 2021, while non-owners’ was $9,700.
3. Median annual malpractice premiums by years in practice:
10 or less: $7,000
11-20: $10,800
21-30: $11,200
31-40: $9,200
41 or more: $7,100
4. Percent of physicians named in malpractice suits by specialty:
Plastic surgery: 83 percent
General surgery: 83 percent
Orthopedics: 81 percent
Urology: 80 percent
OB-GYN: 79 percent
Specialized surgery: 74 percent
Emergency medicine: 70 percent
Otolaryngology: 68 percent
Radiology: 64 percent
Cardiology: 58 percent
5. 2021 annual premium amounts by geographic region:
Northeast: $12,300
South: $7,500
Midwest: $10,400
West: $8,200
6. How physicians said their malpractice premiums changed from 2020 to 2021:
Increased: 22 percent
Stayed the same: 62 percent
Decreased: 3 percent
Don’t know: 13 percent
7. The five states with the highest malpractice award payout per capita among physicians:
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
West Virginia
New Jersey
8. The five states with the lowest malpractice award payout per capita among physicians:
Wisconsin
Texas
Tennessee
Michigan
Mississippi
At the Becker’s 32nd Annual Meeting: The Business and Operations of ASCs, taking place October 29-31 in Chicago, ASC leaders, surgeons and healthcare executives will explore strategies to drive growth, enhance operational performance, navigate reimbursement challenges and prepare for the future of ambulatory surgery. Apply for complimentary registration now.