Exposing Lies About Malpractice & Health Care Costs

The insurance industry is airing ads in Washington, D.C. claiming that malpractice cases are driving up insurance premiums for the District's doctors, thus inflating health care costs for consumers. It is true – the city's largest medical malpractice insurer had raised premiums on doctors by 51 percent in just four years. But that insurer also acknowledges in its own filings with the city government that its total paid claims declined by 9 percent in that same time, meaning it is raising premiums even though it is paying out less.

Bottom line, as with this issue nationally: Corporate America is dishonestly claiming that malpractice cases are the cause of high health insurance premiums in order to justify legislation that limits citizens' legal rights to fight corporate abuse. It is doing this, even though the hard data shows that the real problem in health care is insurance industry profiteering.

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