Decline In Medical Malpractice Costs at Connecticut Hospitals May Not Be Long-Term

Connecticut's 29 acute-care hospitals experienced a 16 percent decrease in medical malpractice insurance costs from 2009 to 2012, but according to hospital officials within the state, the reduction in costs may not be long-term, according to a Hartford Business Journal report.

In 2012, Connecticut's hospitals spent $119.9 million on medical malpractice insurance, which was a 6 percent decrease in costs from 2011 and a 16 percent decrease in costs from 2009, according to the report. 

Even with the overall reductions in medical malpractice insurance costs across the state, hospital officials have warned the trend may not be long-term because the costs have a history of fluctuating significantly. For example, medical malpractice insurance rates "still haven't come down much from when costs significantly spiked 10 to 15 years ago," said Todd Liu, assistant to the president at Derby, Conn.-based Griffin Hospital, in the report.

Although medical malpractice insurance rates have temporarily come down, Connecticut hospitals still spend millions each year on coverage. From 2008 to 2012 there were 3,221 medical malpractice suits closed in Connecticut that paid out a combined $836 million to patients, according to the report. 

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