Show Utah hospital medical liability costs cysts soar Medical liability insurance costs have soared 2154 percent In Carbon Hospital in Price in recent months resulting In increases for patients from 14 cents each day for Insurance coverage to per day averaging 17 per admission This I Increase Is one of many examples pointing to the fact that the national medical malpractice insurance problem has reached Utah SCOTT PARKER representing representing representing the Utah State Hospital Association and president of Intermountain Health Care Inc revealed these and other shocking facts today relating to the crisis Utah hospitals find themselves' themselves in before the Legislatures Legislature's Joint Committee on Social Services The interim committee is collecting information for the drafting of medical professional liability legislation to go before the budget session of the legislature convening in January He pointed out that while the quality of health care for has Improved significantly with a dramatic reduction in malpractice claims insurance rates have skyrocketed He said Utah is being victimized by the growing number of malpractice claims and large awards in California and eastern states In our own corporation which has been largely self self- insured over the past 11 years we experienced in January a cancellation of a major level of coverage even though the coverage was part of a three- three year contract that was to have expired in December 1975 It Il was finally extended when we agreed to increase our premium from per year to per year The astonishing factor in viewing this increase from to is this the company has never paid a claim in our behalf Mr Parker said He reported that the Yosemite Insurance Company cancelled Intermountain Health HealthCare's HealthCare's HealthCare's Cares Care's umbrella coverage representing the organizations organization's over million l-million layer of protection IN ORDER to purchase Insurance well we'll be forced to purchase from the only company company com com- pany we have found willing to sell and we are now faced facer with witha a premium increase of from per year to per year an Increase of 1700 percent Again premium Increases of 1700 percent simply mean that Utah hospitals and patients are In ir fact being unjustly penalized for problems in other states Something must be done to arrest this situation he said He lie underscored Utah's record of accomplishment In self-policing self its physicians and stated staled that it is the position of the Utah State Stale Hospital Association that any patient who has suffered from proven malpractice should be compensated com com- Long before federal legislation introduced the utilization review and professional service review our hospitals and medical staffs had organized to police themselves against even the possibility of Improper care and treatment let alone the practice thereof Mr Parker said These efforts have resulted in Improved patient care and a shorter hospital stay He pointed out his pride in Utah's unusual record in the area of peer review WE WI CURRENTLY are recognized as a national model in the area of quality assurance programs for hospitals If he said He added that the concern Utah hospitals have in the existing liability insurance crisis is twofold U 1 some assurance that professional liability coverage continue to be made available and 2 to keep quality health care available to the general public a at t a reasonable cost It is essential the escalating cost of Utah's hospital insurance insurance insurance in in- be stabilized and hopefully reduced he said The Utah State Slate Hospital Association proposed legislative solution was closely in line with legislative proposals made by Dr Howard president of the Utah State Medical Association representing the states state's physicians The essential core of an effective effective ef ef- ef legislative solution to the problem Mr Parker said includes mandatory coverage of persons who are licensed to provide health care in Utah mandatory availability of professional liability insurance requiring that any insurance company writing general liability coverage in Utah also must write professional liability insurance and a dollar limitation on malpractice ce awards |