Pennsylvania Physicians Continue Concern over Medical Malpractice Insurance


Posted on Oct 01, 2008

Until this year, doctors in Pennsylvania have benefited from the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error Fund (Mcare Fund), which helps physicians make their medical malpractice insurance payments with significant subsidies. However, according to the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, this year Pennsylvania House democrats along with democratic state Governor Ed Rendell are refusing to renew the abatement program until the Republicans in the house agree to expand general healthcare coverage to more people across the state.

The Mcare Fund will expire in November.

Currently, the Pennsylvania House is in a stalemate, with Republicans stating that they will not reauthorize the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council until the matter is resolved. The council is an independent state agency that addresses the problems of escalating health care costs and increases health care access for all PA citizens regardless of their ability to pay.

Chuck Ardo, a spokesperson for Rendell, said, "We certainly believe that the Mcare extension should be done, but also believe that uninsured Pennsylvanians deserve as much consideration from the commonwealth as do doctors," adding, "If we can add a 25-cent levy on cigarettes to benefit doctors, we can certainly add an additional dime, and tax cigars and smokeless tobacco, to benefit the uninsured"

Outside of the government argument, real people are facing the problem of neither program being reinstated - both doctors and those seeking affordable health care. Doctors across the state are worried that without an abatement program, their insurance premiums will rise indefinitely.

Chuck Moran, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Medical Society, said, "We're not certain what would happen, but there is the ever-present threat that doctors might leave the state in favor of places with lower insurance premiums," adding, "For (independent) physicians, it comes down to simple business math."

The Reporter Online added urgency to the story, by noting that the last day the Pennsylvania Senate operates is October 8. The article also reported that in 2007, almost a million working-aged people in Pennsylvania don't have health insurance coverage.

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