Insurance Company Profits 24% Higher in States with Severe Restrictions on Patients' Rights

For Immediate Release: December 10, 2009

Contact: Ray De Lorenzi
American Association for Justice
202-965-3500 x8369
AAJ Press Room

Report: State Tort Reforms Don't Lower Premiums
For Doctors or Patients

Insurance company profits 24% higher in states with severe restrictions on patients' rights

Washington, DC—State tort reforms have provided a boon to insurance companies, leading to record profits while physician and patient premiums continue to skyrocket.

An analysis of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and company annual statements shows malpractice insurer profits are 24 percent higher in states with caps. In these cap states, insurers took in 3.5 times more in premiums than they paid out in 2008. In contrast, insurers in states without caps took in just over twice what they paid in claims.

The findings also show absolutely no correlation between the cost of malpractice premiums and health insurance premiums. For example, Maine has the ninth lowest malpractice premiums but the fourth highest health insurance premiums. Conversely, Nevada has the third lowest health insurance premiums nationally, but malpractice premiums are the country's ninth highest, despite having a cap in place for eight years.

"The data are clear: tort reform is just another insurance company handout," said American Association for Justice President Anthony Tarricone. "Insurers cried wolf and demanded tort reform, only to pocket the profits and never pass savings onto physicians or patients. While 98,000 people die every year from preventable medical errors, it's nonsensical to limit patients' rights simply to fill insurance company coffers."

The report also shows how medical negligence laws were passed under false pretenses. The medical malpractice insurance industry has seen a 47 percent increase in profitability in the last 10 years. Overblown "reported" losses were used by the insurance industry to justify new measures restricting the rights of those injured by medical negligence.

Now that over 30 states have malpractice caps, insurance companies are enjoying extremely high levels of profit. In 2008, the average profit of the 10 largest medical malpractice insurers was higher than 99 percent of Fortune 500 companies and 35 times higher than the Fortune 500 average.

Finally, the report explains the dynamics of the insurance cycle and trends in premium pricing, which are well-known by analysts within the insurance industry. Remarkably, the industry’s leaders are already positioning to claim another “tort crisis” and to lobby for even more severe restrictions on patients’ rights in 2012.

To view a copy of Insurance Company Handout: How the Industry Used Tort Reform to Increase Profits While Americans' Premiums Soared, visit http://www.justice.org/clips/Insurance_Company_Handout.pdf.

AAJ has released a series of reports throughout the health care debate, as well as video tributes to the lives behind medical negligence. To learn more, visit www.98000reasons.org.

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As the world's largest trial bar, the American Association for Justice (formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) works to make sure people have a fair chance to receive justice through the legal system when they are injured by the negligence or misconduct of others--even when it means taking on the most powerful corporations. Visit http://www.justice.org.

Congressman Bruce Braley Stands up for Patients in America

New Ad Campaign Tells Congress to "Put Patients First"

For Immediate Release: September 22, 2009

Contact: Ray De Lorenzi, American Association for Justice
202-965-3500 x369
AAJ Press Room

New AAJ Ad Campaign Tells Congress: “Put Patients First”

Calls On Congress to Improve Health Care by Reducing 98,000 Annual Deaths from Preventable Medical Errors - Like Two 727s Crashing Every Day for an Entire Year

Washington, DC—The American Association for Justice (AAJ) today launched the first phase of a nationwide ad campaign to educate lawmakers about the epidemic of preventable medical errors and how tort law changes won’t lower costs or cover the uninsured. The ads are running in opinion-leading Washington publications and influential online news sites.

According to the Institute of Medicine, 98,000 people are killed annually by preventable medical errors. “That’s like two 737s crashing every day for a whole year,” says the ad, which will initially run in Beltway publications and web sites nationwide. The ad concludes by posing the rhetorical question, “Would we blame the passengers or the airlines?”

“Our health care system is clearly broken, and if we are serious about improving it, we need to fix preventable medical errors,” said AAJ President Anthony Tarricone. “This new ad campaign gives Congress 98,000 reasons why they should put patients’ health first – before the profits of insurance companies. If we work to improve our health care system and reduce medical errors – rather than strip people of their rights – there would be far fewer victims that need legal recourse.”

The ads are an extension of AAJ’s efforts to improve the nation’s health care system by addressing preventable medical errors instead of trying to take away long-established Constitutional rights.

The Government Accountability Office and Congressional Budget Office have both said taking away patients’ rights will not significantly lower health care costs and found no evidence of so-called “defensive medicine.” Nonetheless, the insurance industry, political opponents of reform and others members of the health care industrial complex have continued to use patients’ rights as bargaining chips during this debate.

“Americans deserve health care reform that will actually fix our broken system, not force them to give up their legal rights,” said Tarricone. “Let’s focus on preventing errors in the first place, not targeting those injured through no fault of their own.”

To learn more about AAJ’s ad campaign and the role of medical negligence in the health care debate, visit www.98000reasons.org.

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As the world's largest trial bar, the American Association for Justice (formerly known as the Association of Trial Lawyers of America) works to make sure people have a fair chance to receive justice through the legal system when they are injured by the negligence or misconduct of others--even when it means taking on the most powerful corporations. Visit http://www.justice.org.

Dead by Mistake-- Medical Error kills Trevor Nelson

www.deadbymistake.com

Hearst Newspapers go in-depth researching the number 1 cause of accidental death in America-- medical errors and mistakes.

How are there 98,000 preventable deaths a year in this nation?

Click HERE to read the full account of Trevor Nelson's death.

Healthy woman dies during childbirth after bleeding for 16 hours-- a preventable death

Read all about Hearst Newspapers national expose on the number one cause of accidental death in the United States-- medical errors and mistakes at www.deadbymistake.com

The entire story of this young mother's death is available HERE.

Dead By Mistake-- case video

Meet Sharon Moore-- 1 of 5 patients of Dr. Earl's who were killed by an overdose prescribed by the doctor. Her entire story is HERE.

Check out www.deadbymistake.com

Compiled by Hearst Newspapers, www.deadbymistake.com is a site housing all the stories run about the 98,000 people who are killed every year from medical errors.

Dead By Mistake

Incredible multi-story investigative reporting about the 98,000 people killed each year by medical errors and mistakes. A must read!

All of the articles are available on one website: www.deadbymistake.com