Doctors Fleeing PA Malpractice Costs

TURNERSVILLE, NEW JERSEY - August 15, 2001 — For twelve years, Dr. John Gregg practiced medicine in Wayne. This year the orthopedic surgeon was paying $106,000 in malpractice insurance and the Pennsylvania Catastrophic Loss Surcharge or CAT Fund. Dr. Gregg says to meet expenses he`d have to see more patients and spend less time with them so he moved his practice to Turnersville, New Jersey where his insurance payments dropped to $20,000.

Dr. Gregg is not alone.

More and more doctors are leaving Pennsylvania because of the high cost of medical malpractice insurance.

Doctors took their concerns to Harrisburg earlier this year, charging the problem is especially acute in the Philadelphia area where lawsuits are numerous and jury awards generous. Doctor Don Kovalsky says malpractice costs combined with shrinking reimbursements from insurance carriers have driven him to work in Illinois two days a week and he hopes to relocate there eventually.

John Gallagher is Secretary of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and says the spiking costs this year are the result of Philadelphia clearing a backlog of malpractice cases.

Gallagher says the costs will drop next year. Dr. Gregg believes more doctors will leave Pennsylvania before then

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News