Liabilty_And_Healthcare_Providers

Liabilty And Healthcare Providers The Impact Of the Liability System on Medical Care The medical malpractice liability system has two main purposes(1). First, it seeks to provide compensation to patients who suffer negligent medical injury and secondly, it seeks to penalize physicians whose negligence causes patient injury, thereby inducing physicians to take appropriate precautions in medical treatment(2). In theory , the existing medical malpractice liability may or may not provide physicians with the incentive to take the optimal level of precautions. On one hand, malpractice penalties may deter physicians and other providers from putting patients at excessive risk of adverse health outcomes(3). While managed care encourages physicians to reduce treatment intensity, the malpractice system may be an important counterweight for preserving patient access to necessary care(4). On the other hand , these penalties may drive physicians to be “too careful” – to practice defensive medicine. Because of third party payers, such as patients’ health care plans and insurance, neither patient nor physicians bear a substantial share of the costs of medical care associated with precaution in any particular case. Accordingly, very small increases in expected “hassle” from a malpractice claim or lawsuit may result in large increases in medical treatment intensity, care, liability, malpractice, managed, health, physicians, medical, reduce, costs, system, reforms, treatment, defensive, additional, patient, intensity, incentives, treatments, procedures, life, increases, example, effects, adverse, substantial, reform, provides, provider, provide, practice, plans, per, outcomes, incentive