How Med Mal Rates Vary by State, County and Specialty
The first thing that a physician or medical care provider will ask us is, “How much is this going to cost me?” We’re speaking of the med mal rates for coverage, of course. The cost of med mal coverage is a very big part of a practice and it is important to know how the costs are calculated, and what you should expect to pay. Here are some of the basics. Med mal rates arise from three main drivers: your specialty, the state you practice in and the county you practice in. (The article today assumes there is no claims history.) Based on those three factors, we can tell you how much you will be paying over the course of the next five years.
Most of it may be common sense, but let’s give a few examples of how med mal rates can vary because we here at MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com strive to provide as much clarity as possible. So, let’s breakdown a few specialties, states and counties.
Expensive vs. Inexpensive Specialties
Most physicians understand the liability concerns for a surgeon vs. an internal medicine doctor. In general, a surgeon or any physician who performs surgery, like an OB/GYN, is going to face high med mal insurance rates, because the risk is high. For instance, an OB/GYN practicing in NYC should expect to pay $100,000-$150,000 per year for a mature, claims-made policy. Med mal insurance that tends to be expensive, that is surprising to some, includes diagnostic radiology liability insurance (especially physicians who read breast exams) and emergency medicine coverage. Inexpensive med mal rates tend to be for: functional medicine coverage, occupational medicine coverage, psychiatry coverage and family medicine coverage. (Of course, a claim or licensing issue can cause the med mal insurance rates for even the cheapest of specialties to rise dramatically.)
Expensive States vs. Cheap States
In our estimation, the most expensive state, by far, to practice in is New York. This is mostly because it is a very litigious state and it takes a very long time for claims to move through the system. Other high cost states include: California, Illinois, New Jersey, and Louisiana. Doctors looking for inexpensive states to practice in should consider: Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Missouri. We have the historic med mal rates for your state on our site.
The Importance of Counties
You should also know that the county you practice in can change your inexpensive state into an expensive one. Take Florida for example. Most of Florida is relatively reasonably priced, but Miami-Dade is one of the most expensive counties to practice in in the country.
So, if you are shopping for med mal coverage, please contact MyMedicalMalpracticeInsurance.com and we will assemble all of the med mal rates, from all of the companies based on your practice location and specialty, and forward them to you within one business day.
