Hospital professional liability likely to be highest in Fla., Pa., lowest in Ind., Minn. in 2013

A new report forecasts that Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and New Mexico are projected to have the highest loss rate when it comes to hospital professional liability.

They will incur a loss rate per occupied bed of $7,660, $5,150, $4,080 and $4,050, respectively

By contrast, the states with the lowest loss rate are Indiana ($950), Minnesota and New Jersey ($1,100), and Texas ($1,660). The projections come from the 13th annual 2012 Aon/ASHRM Hospital and Physician Professional Liability Benchmark report, which was based on responses from 125 hospital systems representing 25 percent of the total U.S. hospital industry. The ability to mitigate, transfer and/or manage the current traditional risks facing healthcare providers should be considered an assumptive core competency of healthcare providers and their business partners,” said Ron Calhoun, managing director of Aon Risk Solutions’ Health Care Practice, in a news release. “The new healthcare landscape will be impacted by a range of developments, such as new alignments across all providers and care settings, and among multi-hospital and multi-physician groups; payer-provider links for risk sharing; data integration and patient management; and financial and data transparency. IT infrastructure and process improvement will be critical to success.” The report also highlighted two legislative changes at the state level that addresses the concept of professional liability.

Massachusetts enacted a law that adopts a mandatory 180-day cooling off period, where providers are given the opportunity to disclose the event, offer an apology and negotiate compensation.

New Hampshire lawmakers passed an act establishing an early offer alternative in medical injury claims. The program provides patients the option to settle medical liability claims within 90 days of injury.