ATRA to Receive 2023 MPL Association Award of Excellence in Public Policy

May 8, 2023 by matray

The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association has announced that the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) will receive the 2023 Award of Excellence in Public Policy. ATRA is being honored for its role in bringing greater fairness, predictability, and efficiency to America’s civil justice system. The MPL Association is the leading international organization representing the medical professional liability insurance community.

ATRA is a nationwide network of state-based legal reform coalition organizations backed by 142,000 grassroots supporters with a strong track record of enacting and defending civil justice reforms. The organization was founded in 1986 by the American Council of Engineering Companies and has attracted a diverse membership of nonprofits, small and large businesses, and state and national trade, business, and professional associations. It is the nation’s first organization dedicated exclusively to tort reform and liability reform through public education and the enactment of legislation.

“All of us at ATRA appreciate very much this recognition for the work we do to reform the nation’s civil justice system,” said Tiger Joyce, ATRA president. “Abuses of the legal system reduce access to lifesaving healthcare, increase its costs unnecessarily, and hinders the overall economy. ATRA is committed to addressing these issues in the legislatures, in the courts, and through broader public education about the impacts of lawsuit abuse. We appreciate greatly our partnership with the MPL Association and look forward to continuing it this year and beyond.”

“The Association is pleased to honor ATRA with this award, especially given the surge in large verdicts and erosion of laws protecting healthcare providers across the country. It is vital that the MPL community comes together in support of the defense bar,” said John H. Mize, MPL Association Board Chair and SVMIC president and chief executive officer. “We applaud ATRA and its commitment to promoting equity and justice in the U.S. legal system.”

The MPL Association Award of Excellence in Public Policy is given to organizations, government officials, or private citizens who have undertaken exemplary efforts to recognize and advance the public policy needs of the MPL community. The award will be presented at the 2023 MPL Association Conference on May 18 in New Orleans.  

Posted in MPL company news | Leave a comment
SIDM to Receive 2023 MPL Association Award of Excellence in Patient Safety

May 8, 2023 by matray

The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association has announced that the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM) will receive its 2023 Award of Excellence in Patient Safety. SIDM is being honored for its role as a leading force in the medical community in addressing patient safety. The MPL Association is the leading international organization representing the medical professional liability insurance community.

SIDM catalyzes and leads change to improve diagnosis and eliminate harm from diagnostic error. The organization works in partnership with patients, their families, the healthcare community, and every interested stakeholder. SIDM is the only organization focused solely on the problem of diagnostic error and improving the accuracy and timeliness of diagnosis.

In 2015, SIDM established the Coalition to Improve Diagnosis to increase awareness and actions that improve diagnosis. Members of the Coalition represent hundreds of thousands of healthcare providers and patients, and the leading health organizations and government agencies involved in patient care. Together, stakeholders work to find solutions that enhance diagnostic safety and quality, reduce harm, and ultimately, ensure better health outcomes for patients.

“SIDM is pleased and honored to receive your recognition of our efforts towards reducing patient harm through this award! As the only organization whose sole focus is to foster and support efforts and policies aimed at reducing patient harm, we believe that every person will be a patient at some time, and therefore deserves equitable access to safe care,” said Jennie Ward-Robinson, SIDM chief executive officer. “We remain steadfast and dedicated to achieving our goal and your recognition strengthens our resolve to continue collaborating with patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations within the healthcare ecosystem to identify and address patient safety gaps that will reduce harm. Only together we can ensure that patients receive the care they deserve with the best possible outcomes."

“We applaud the leadership and accomplishments of SIDM to develop innovative solutions to reduce medical errors arising from misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, or missed diagnosis,” said John H. Mize, MPL Association Board Chair and SVMIC president and chief executive officer. “On behalf of the MPL Association Board and its members, I am pleased to honor SIDM with this award.”

The MPL Association Award of Excellence in Patient Safety is presented to individuals or organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing patient safety and improving healthcare through systemic improvements. The award will be presented at the 2023 MPL Association Conference on May 18 in New Orleans.  

Posted in MPL company news | Leave a comment
Medical Liability Monitor May 2023 issue highlights

May 4, 2023 by matray

Below are some headlines and article synopses from the April 2023 issue of Medical Liability Monitor. To read the articles in entirety, please subscribe today.

New Hampshire Attorney General’s Report on State Medical Board Calls for Greater Transparency, Legislature Considers Public Advocate
A new report published by the attorney general of New Hampshire calls on the state’s board of medicine to implement reforms that would provide the public with more information about potentially unsafe doctors. The attorney general’s office has recommended posting malpractice complaints and settlements, as well as publicly posting the names of physicians who receive “letters of concern,” which are currently kept confidential …

AM Best Maintains Negative Outlook for Medical Professional Liability Segment
AM Best is maintaining its negative outlook for the medical professional liability segment of insurance in 2023. According to the credit rating service’s Market Segment Outlook, published on March 31, the drivers behind the industry’s negative outlook include rising claim severity, social inflation, the potential for indirect pandemic-related claims, the ongoing pressures of a depressed demand in the physician market and diminishing reserve redundancies …

AMA Analysis of Medical Liability Monitor Annual Rate Survey Data Notes Rate Increases Unseen in Two Decades
A protracted period of upward volatility in medical liability premiums has extended into a fourth consecutive year and suggests a hard insurance market has spread across many states, making it difficult for physicians to find affordable coverage, according to a new Policy Research Perspectives report in which the American Medical Association (AMA) analyzed Medical Liability Monitor’s 2022 Annual Rate Survey data. The prevalence of year-to-year increases in medical liability premiums between 2019 and 2022 has not been observed in two decades …

Colorado Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Damage Cap Challenge
The Colorado Supreme Court agreed last month to hear an appeal over whether a more than $9 million medical liability jury verdict against two physicians and Sky Ridge Medical Center should be reduced to $1 million, in-line with the medical liability damage cap parameters of the state’s Health Care Availability Act ...

HHS Proposes Bolstering Confidentiality Around Reproductive Care
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through its Office for Civil Rights, issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) last month to strengthen Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule protections by prohibiting the use or disclosure of protected health information to investigate or prosecute patients, providers and others involved in the provision of legal reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. According to HHS, it has heard from patients, providers and organizations representing thousands of individuals that this change is needed to protect patient-provider confidentiality and prevent private medical records from being used against people for seeking, obtaining, providing or facilitating lawful reproductive healthcare …

Subscribe today to get this issue (as well as the 2022 Annual Rate Survey at no additional cost).

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Jennifer Schoenthal Joins Hudson Insurance Group as Head of Digital Health for HudsonPro

May 3, 2023 by matray

Hudson Insurance Group (Hudson) today announced the appointment of Jennifer Schoenthal as head of Digital Health for HudsonPro. In this newly created position, Schoenthal will spearhead the development of Hudson’s new Digital Health modular product offering, which includes Medical Professional Liability, Cyber and Technology Errors & Omissions coverage components. HudsonPro was introduced in 2021 as a rebrand of Hudson’s Management Liability, Financial Institutions, Cyber, E&O and MPL lines of business.

“We are thrilled to have Jennifer join our team at Hudson,” said Trevor Howard, executive vice president and head of HudsonPro. “She brings over 25 years of experience in underwriting and product development, and is a nationally recognized speaker and writer, frequently attending industry events and serving on various panels.”

Prior to Hudson, Schoenthal was global product leader for Beazley’s Virtual Care product and has also served as the director of underwriting for a Lloyds of London coverholder, where she developed programs for Allied Health, Products Liability and Medical Spas.

She is based in Atlanta and reports to Michelle Langen, Medical Professional Liability director of HudsonPro.

Posted in Appointments and promotions, MPL company news | Leave a comment
MPL Association Names Recipients of 2023 MPL Industry Defender Award

May 1, 2023 by matray

The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association has awarded its 2023 MPL Industry Defender Award to Alan K. Breaud, Peter T. Dazzio, JD, Anne M. Oldenburg, JD, Gordon Slemko, LLB, and Jeffrey R. Street. This award is presented to defense attorneys in recognition for their exceptional and outstanding lifelong contributions to defending physicians, other healthcare professionals, and institutions while supporting medical professional liability insurers.

Alan K. Breaud

Breaud is an attorney at Breaud & Meyers in Lafayette, Louisiana, and has served as a defense counsel for LAMMICO for more than thirty years. He devotes a large part of his practice to the defense of medical malpractice claims, having defended approximately 320 LAMMICO claims before Medical Review Panels and winning 90% of those claims. Breaud practiced for a short time in public finance and thereafter joined the staff of the District Attorney’s Office in New Orleans. Since 1981 he has practiced primarily in the litigation field. In addition, Breaud has served on the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board, which is tasked with the responsibility of investigating all allegations of lawyer misconduct.

Peter T. Dazzio, JD

Dazzio is a partner at the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, law firm Watson, Blanche, Wilson and Posner. He has represented physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers to the highest level of excellence in his 50 years of practice. His areas of practice include medical malpractice defense, hospital general liability defense, insurance defense, hospital regulatory, staff privileges, medical executive committee hearings, and hospital policies. Dazzio was instrumental in creating the Louisiana Hospital Association Self-Insurance Medical Malpractice Trust Fund and the Louisiana Physicians Trust. He was also a long-term member of the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board.

Anne M. Oldenburg, JD

Oldenburg, a partner at HeplerBroom LLC in Chicago, represents doctors, dentists, and other healthcare providers for several MPL insurance companies. She has devoted her career to the defense of medical professionals and has tried numerous cases to verdict and handled cases on appeal. She also represents professionals before state licensing boards. Oldenburg has a record of achieving numerous favorable outcomes, including defense verdicts and many dismissals. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Association of Defense Trial Attorneys and previously served as an Illinois State Representative for the Defense Research Institute.

Gordon Slemko, LLB

Slemko, General Counsel at HIROC (Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada), defends the organization’s subscribers and their employees in a variety of medical malpractice actions, up to and including trial. Slemko provides internal corporate advice and manages an internal legal department of nine lawyers, law clerks, and administrative assistants. He also liaises and co-leads negotiation of retainer arrangements with HIROC’s external legal providers. He is the chair of the Outreach Committee of the Medico-Legal Society of Toronto and is a member of the Advocate’s Society of Ontario, the Ontario Bar Association, and the Canadian Bar Association.

Jeffrey R. Street

Street is co-managing partner at Hodgkinson, Street, Mepham in Portland, Oregon, and specializes in the defense of physicians and healthcare professionals in Oregon and Washington. Throughout his career, Street has taken hundreds of cases to trial or arbitration. For Physician’s Insurance alone, he has taken 39 cases to trial including complex, high severity cases such as birth and neurological injury. Street is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and has been recognized as an Advocate member in the American Board of Trial Advocates.

“These outstanding defense attorneys have served as important partners with medical professional liability organizations,” said Brian K. Atchinson, president and CEO, MPL Association. “Their successful representation of healthcare professionals and institutions embodies excellence in the claims defense field. On behalf of our members and those they insure, the MPL Association is pleased to honor their work.”  

Posted in MPL company news | Leave a comment
Coverys Hires Cathy Donahue to be Chief Operating Officer

April 20, 2023 by matray

Coverys recently announced the hiring of Cathy Donahue to be its chief operating officer. Reporting to Joseph Murphy, Coverys president and chief executive officer, she will oversee a wide range of functions and business units within Coverys, including claims, human resources, risk management and analytics, information technology, enterprise risk management, and diversity, equity and inclusion. Donahue has more than two decades of experience in the insurance industry.

“Cathy has deep expertise in effecting change and innovation across organizations by listening and engaging others,” Murphy said. “As a result of this collaborative approach, she is adept at operational efficiency, mitigating risk, ensuring compliance and strengthening overall quality across organizations. Coupled with Cathy’s operational strengths is her passion and belief in cultivating a purpose-led culture. She is an exemplary role model who truly aligns with our Coverys core values.”

Donahue most recently served as assistant vice president and chief administrative officer at The Hartford, where she oversaw the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy for its claims and operations division. Prior to that, she held senior operations roles at Chubb & Son, including vice president and managing director of Worldwide Surety Operations and operations manager for North America.

“I am delighted to join Coverys, a company known for driving growth and innovation in the medical professional liability insurance market,” Donahue said. “I look forward to collaborating with the team to execute our long-term strategic plan to bring sophisticated technology, risk-mitigation strategies, data intelligence and evidence-based processes to liability protection."

Posted in Appointments and promotions, MPL company news | Leave a comment
Sompo International Names Hyland President of North American Reinsurance

April 17, 2023 by matray

Sompo International, a provider of commercial and consumer property and casualty (re)insurance, promoted Margaret Hyland to president of North America Reinsurance. Hyland now reports to Christopher Donelan, chief executive officer, Global Reinsurance, Sompo International Holdings Ltd.

“We are excited to see Maggie step into her new role given her wealth of leadership experience and strong relationships within the (re)insurance industry,” Donelan said. “Our ability to attract and develop the depth of talent on our team is one of our greatest strengths and we are confident Maggie has the reputation and expertise needed to take our business forward.”

Hyland previously served as the company’s executive vice president, head of North American Professional Liability Reinsurance at Sompo International. With more than 30 years of experience in the North American (re)insurance industry, she has held leadership positions with various companies including Allied World, CNA, Axis Capital and Willis Re. Hyland has a Master’s in Business Administration from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University and Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Speech from St. John’s University.    

Posted in Appointments and promotions, MPL company news | Leave a comment
MLMIC Physicians Saved More Than $16 Million Since 2020

April 13, 2023 by matray

MLMIC recently announced that its Preferred Savings Programs (PSPs) have saved New York physicians more than $16 million since 2020.

MLMIC's PSPs, which offer significant savings to qualifying New York physicians, is part of the medical liability insurer's commitment to put the interests of policyholders first. The PSPs recognize the quality care and patient safety initiatives advanced by many of New York’s medical professional organizations.

The company reports steady growth in their PSP programs, resulting in a significant reduction in premium for our policyholders. In 2020, MLMIC's PSPs saved physicians $4.6 million. In 2021, total savings were $5.4 million. In 2022, savings totaled $6.4 million.

Posted in MPL company news | Leave a comment
COPIC Announces 2023 Medical Foundation Grant Recipients

April 11, 2023 by matray

The COPIC Medical Foundation has awarded $511,121 in grants to four organizations focused on reducing fragmentation in the health care system. Congratulations to the following organizations:

AIRnyc (New York). AIRnyc helps reduce fragmentation in prenatal and postpartum clinical and social care for high-risk black and latina pregnant persons.

Metropolitan State University of Denver (Colorado). This is an EMT and nursing interprofessional education pilot and launch focusing on interprofessional education to reduce fragmentation and improve patient outcomes.

Black Doulas for Black Mamas (Texas). Black Doulas for Black Mamas works with perinatal community health workers to fill gaps in maternal health, improve birth outcomes and lower morbidity and mortality in rural Texas.

Kansas Health Care Collaborative (Kansas). Kansas Health Care Collaborative takes an innovative approach to improving care transitions for patients dismissed from a hospital emergency room visit or inpatient stay through use of health information exchange technology and data across the state of Kansas.

Posted in MPL company news | Leave a comment
Medical Liability Monitor April 2023 issue highlights

April 11, 2023 by matray

Below are some headlines and article synopses from the April 2023 issue of Medical Liability Monitor. To read the articles in entirety, please subscribe today.

New Mexico Avoids MedMal Insurance Crisis with Damage Cap Fix
The New Mexico Legislature threaded the needle last month and passed a bipartisan update to the state’s Medical Malpractice Act with just four days left in the 2023 session, averting what could have been a medical liability insurance crisis. Senate Bill 523, drafted in a compromise between trial lawyers and healthcare professionals, caps medical malpractice payouts for independent outpatient clinics — such as urgent care, ambulatory surgical centers and free-standing emergency rooms not hospital controlled — at $1 million, which they say will allow them to maintain medical liability insurance coverage and keep their doors open. Beginning in calendar-year 2024, the cap will adjust annually by the prior three-year average consumer price index. Two previous legislative attempts at fixing the damage cap for independent clinics stalled in committee earlier this year …

Vertical Integration Worsens Patient Outcomes, Increases Costs
Vertical integration within the healthcare delivery system should improve patient outcomes and shrink costs, in theory. When physicians work directly for hospitals, rather than in independent practices, there should be greater efficiencies, coordination and information sharing due to economies of scale. And indeed, the U.S. healthcare system has been headed in that direction for years, consolidating at a rapid rate. The number of doctors who have transitioned from working in independent practices to hospital employment has doubled during the past decade, and the trend looks to continue. But a new Harvard University study finds that in at least one representative area of medicine, gastroenterology, vertical integration is leading doctors to change the way they approach patient care — with consequent adverse effects on patient health and the cost of care. The problem lies in a system of financial reimbursements that incentivizes the wrong behaviors and addressing that issue may offer a solution …

Prior Authorization Toll Exceeds Alleged Benefits, According to AMA Survey
The approval process health insurers impose on medical services or prescription drugs is generating a toll that exceeds the purported benefits, according to a physician survey released last month by the American Medical Association (AMA). While health insurers claim that prior authorization requirements are used for cost and quality control, a large majority of physicians say authorization controls lead to unnecessary waste and avoidable patient harm …

Macroeconomic Conditions, Uncertainty Lead to a Mixed Year For MPL Insurers
Medical professional liability insurers’ direct written premium increased by 5.7% in 2022 to almost $6.7 billion, its highest level since 2006, but adverse macroeconomic trends persist. As has been the case since 2016, the composite continues to rely on investment performance to maintain its profitability as combined ratios remain above 100% and surplus continues to shrink …

Study Accuses P&C Insurers of Fabricating Social Inflation to Price Gouge
A new study of the property/casualty insurance industry, Inventing Social Inflation 2023, alleges commercial insurers have been misrepresenting their actual losses to justify “price-gouging” and push for further restrictions on the tort rights of American consumers. For the medical professional liability line of business, the study’s authors assert that “perhaps no commercial insurance policyholders have been victims of the industry’s manufactured economic cycle crises more than doctors.” They accuse medical malpractice insurers of misrepresenting their actual losses by 37% during the previous hard market to justify rate hikes and ramping up a similar strategy in 2019. The authors point to 2020 and 2021 rate hikes — when malpractice claims dropped precipitously due to COVID-19 physician immunities and closed court systems — as evidence premiums are not connected to actual loss data …

Subscribe today to get this issue (as well as the 2022 Annual Rate Survey at no additional cost).

Posted in MPL company news | Leave a comment
Older posts