[Aama-cases] Malpractice insurance

[Paul J Allen MD]

This topic has come up before and is a problem in Washington State as well.
When I first added acupuncture to my practice in 1997, my carrier,
Washington State Physicians Insurance Exchange (WSPIE), wanted to increase
my rates to the equivalent rate of an FP performing open heart surgery
(seriously). I am a non-interventional physiatrist, and typically my rates
are the lowest available. WSPIE said if acupuncture makes up 20% of my
practice or less, my rates will remain at the low end of the scale.
A year or so ago, several members of our chapter met with reps from WSPIE to
ask about the 20% rule, why they rate acupuncture as such a high risk, when
the actual complications are so low?, etc. Basically it seems they don¹t
know what to do with us. They say they have no data, but I first asked 6
years ago. They have my data. They must have others. Informally, one of the
underwriting staff at WSPIE told me they think that docs performing more
than 20% acupuncture are more likely to explore alternative treatments and
such, and WSPIE didn¹t want to open that door.

I pay about $8,000 per year in liability insurance. I have an acupuncturist
friend that pays about $800 per year. If you are only performing
acupuncture, one of the lower cost acupuncturist policies may work for you,
but in Washington State, as a physician, you are still held to a higher
standard of care, and therefore a higher risk profile. The policy must cover
you for the risks a physician faces.



on 8/31/03 5:58 PM, PetersonCpeters at aol.com at PetersonCpeters at aol.com
wrote:

> It is interesting that you raise this concern. I am also an FP. Last week I
> spoke briefly with Jim Dowden in this regard. An insurance carrier in
> Wisconsin 
> had recently quoted me, FP with surgery rates for acupuncture. Their
> reasoning (this time) is that there are no actuarial figures to reflect the
> true risks 
> involved.

-- 
Paul J Allen <pjallen at callatg.com>