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Access to Medical Care Have Been Reduced by Higher Price

Medical Care
Public access to medical care at a reasonable price is the second major public interest. There is good evidence that higher malpractice premiums cause higher prices for physicians’ services (Sloan 1982). Indeed, physicians seem not merely to pass through the full cost of insurance increases to patients but also to raise prices even further. A given rise in premiums seems to raise fees by about twice that amount. However, since premiums remain a very small component of physician expenses on average, even with a double effect of fees, the contribution of premium increases to physician fee inflation has been minor. The most plausible explanation for the double pass-through is that physicians provide more care per service—better record keeping, more time talking with patients, and the like—which raises their costs of service. Whether presumably higher levels of service are worth their price is not obvious in the heavily subsidized medical services market; the issue has not been analyzed in systematic fashion.

Frequent statements by physicians suggest that the extra care is not worthwhile. Extra tests and procedures are said to be done more for potential legal defense than for value in health care. Very high estimates exist of this cost—up to $15 billion annually in 1985 dollars. This defensive padding of services is widely believed to occur, but its extent is very hard to document, for factors other than malpractice fears also promote service-intensive care—including patient demand and physician profit seeking.

Effects on access to medical services are potentially even more troubling than those on the cost of care, and some physicians may have withdrawn certain medical insurance policy services in response to malpractice fears. One of the defining features of the mid-1970s was the threat and occasional reality of a near strike by concerned physicians, especially in hospital-based and emergency practice. There are also many reports of physicians who have left practice early, have reduced their practices by eliminating riskier procedures, or have practiced “negative” defensive medicine by refusing to treat certain patients or certain conditions deemed at too great a risk of malpractice claim. (”Positive” defensive medicine, described above, consists of providing too many services— more than medically indicated.) Here again, the evidence is largely anecdotal and occurs against a backdrop of rapidly rising numbers of physicians seeking to practice.

Obstetricians are often said to be most affected. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has published results from national surveys of its membership in 1983, 198 and 1987, indicating that many physicians have indeed reportedly made changes. Among respondents, 27 percent had decreased their volume of high-risk obstetrical managed care plans and 12 percent no longer practiced obstetrics. One should recall that theACOG data were self-reported in an atmosphere of crisis and political mobilization. Moreover, although a physician who curtails his or her practice clearly loses access to certain patients, it is less clear that his or her former patients lose access to care. Virtually nothing reliable is known about impacts on patient access to care. It seems improbable, for example, that the birth rate has declined in many areas where obstetricians report cutbacks or that many babies have been delivered at home other than by the choice of the parents involved. There are stories, however, of patients having to travel long distances for long term care insurance or being dumped in public facilities. Another physician response is to “go bare,” or refuse to buy formal liability coverage, thus withdrawing on the demand side, just as insurance companies withdrew on the supply side. A small percentage seem to go bare, but documentation of this phenomenon is not good.

Dwelling Policies vs. Homeowners Insurance

You may choose to insure your property with a dwelling policy (the three major dwelling policies are commonly known as DP-1, DP-2, and DP-3). The major problem with a dwelling policy is that it does not automatically provide liability coverage, as homeowners insurance does. If you are trimming a tree on the property and a branch falls and damages a neighbor’s house, (more…)

Mobile Home Insurance – Why You Need Its Coverages

Special mobile home owners policies are available that cover personal property and liability coverage exposures as well as offering coverage similar to automobile insurance: collision and comprehensive. Mobile home policies are not standardized, so they might include coverage for awnings, porches, air conditioners, and other equipment you add after purchase, or these might be considered additional coverages for which you will be charged a higher premium. (more…)

Personal Accident Insurances – Why You Should Get One

While for some people it may seem a luxury, having personal accident insurance will give many benefits to those who register with it. The main purpose of Insurance plans is designed to prepare us for these unforeseen circumstances. It gives us peace of mind knowing that if something happens we can be sure we have the means to cover the consequences of accidents. The job’s nature, workplace environments, the type of machinery in some companies, (more…)

Don’t Skimp on Liability Home Insurance Coverage

home insurance coverage
Pay particular attention to issues involving liability. This coverage protects your assets against lawsuits. Review the liability limits of your insurance policies. In the past most of the personal liability risks you faced probably came in some degree from your business or work. For most people, homeowners insurance coverage offers their main protection from non-work related personal liability. As you spend more time away from work, (more…)

Liability Coverage Homeowners Insurance

liability coverage insurance
Homeowners insurance is designed not only to protect your home and your belongings against loss, but to protect you from liability for injuries to others, and liability for damage to the value of property of others. You may buying homeowners insurance years ago when you first purchased your home and continued to renew it every year without thinking about it. Now is the time to think about it again, before a loss occurs that you can’t afford. (more…)

Lowering Your Liability Coverage - Is it a Good Idea?

auto insurance liability coverage
When you’re looking for ways to lower your auto insurance premiums so you can have more money left over for trivialities like food and clothing it’s tempting to take the first answer that comes your way. Lowering your liability coverage to the bare minimum is the easiest, fastest and most efficient way to lower your auto insurance premiums in a very short amount of time; however, there’s a reason we learn to resist temptation at a young age!

Easiest doesn’t mean best, and lowering your liability coverage might be the worst mistake you could make when it comes to your auto insurance. (more…)

Homeowners Insurance, Flood Insurance, and Earthquake Insurance — Protection for Your Home

Homeowners Insurance
Should you consider that homeownership is something that is crucial and it is affecting your future planning, then be ready to buy homeowners insurance. You better consider it as a protection when buying a new home also, because it is essential protection when something happen beyond your financial circumstances.

There are two protection that are covered by Homeowners insurance. First, it protects your home and its contents in the event something catastrophic happens, such as a theft or fire. One more important thing is it also extends to what is known as liability coverage. (more…)