Medical Liability Claims on the Rise

Medical liability remains a contentious aspect of the greater health care debate sweeping the nation. Reforming medical malpractice will not in and of itself lead to transformative changes in the overall cost of health care, but it cannot hurt and will continue to be a lynchpin issue. And according to a recent report from Aon, the problem may become more expensive after years of progress.

The study identifies a rise in professional liability claims for hospitals and attributes the increased frequency to the overall economic downturn. "Worsening economic conditions in 2008 may have influenced individuals to assert claims against hospital systems," said Erik Johnson, health care practice leader for Aon's actuarial and analytics practice. "In 2003 through 2007, public attention was directed on tort reform activity and prohibitive medical malpractice costs for physicians. This coincided with significant reductions in professional liability claims. As public attention shifted to other subjects, the momentum of the reductions dissipated."

Among the findings is that one out of every four claims, and 24% of hospital professional liability costs are associated with hospital-acquired conditions such as infections and injuries, medication errors, objects left during surgery and pressure ulcers.