| Welcome
to the PIAM Malpractice Bulletin. This
bulletin will be looking at a wide range of issues that may impact your practice.
We hope you find this information helpful and we look forward to your comments.
"Chain of Command" Becomes a New Focus for Plaintiff's Bar
–
Jack King
As healthcare reform gathers steam, the stage is set for both government and private health plans to shift more financial risk to providers and consumers. The economics of "Global Payments" will require greater cost controls on the part of physicians, hospitals and Accountable Care Organizations. Consequently, most physicians will be practicing in a world with not so subtle incentives to avoid using "excess" lab, radiology and other types of clinical testing. At the same time, Massachusetts consumers are being shifted into health plans with increasing co-pays and deductibles. Past experience has shown that when patients are confronted with higher co-pays and deductibles, they wait longer and become sicker before seeking care.
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Areas of Exposure Related to Medical Directorships
–Barbara Lawrence, Kathleen Finnerty-Schroth, CIC
Physicians are often called upon to become medical directors for surgicenters, hospitals, medical spas, clinics, labs and long term care facilities. They may assume that their medical directorship duties are covered by their professional liability insurance policy. However, almost all professional liability insurers now exclude this exposure. Generally, the Professional Liability policy provides coverage for hands-on patient care as a physician but not for duties performed as medical director outside of one's own practice. Therefore it is necessary to verify that the facility maintains liability insurance that responds to the exposure presented by the many duties and responsibilities assumed by the medical director.
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Medical Malpractice Insurance "Slot"
Policies
–
Jack King
Today it is common to see larger medical groups and hospitals using multiple part-time physicians to to staff one full-time position. If the medical group or hospital is paying the malpractice premium for these part-time physicians, costs can add up fast.
In order to cover this need, insurance companies have developed a malpractice "slot" policy.
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The Link Between Periodontal Disease and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
–
Kenneth Kornman DMD, PhD & Nadeem Karimbux DDS, MMSc
More than 20 years ago, epidemiologists reported significant associations between periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Since the first reports many studies have replicated the findings, and recent meta-analyses 1-8 conclude that the association is significant and independent of standard CVD risk factors.
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PIAM Announces Affiliation with Webster Bank
Webster Bank is pleased to be the preferred banking services provider to the Physician's Insurance Agency of Massachusetts (PIAM), a subsidiary of the Massachusetts Medical Society. Through the partnership with PIAM, Webster Bank is offering an array of banking products to members.
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MMS
Night at the Pops
Through a special arrangement between the MMS and the Boston Pops, MMS members can receive a 30 percent discount on tickets for Thursday, June 16. The Pops performance that evening will be "The American Songbook" with guest artists Stephanie Block and Julia Murney from the Broadway production of Wicked.
To purchase tickets (first come, first served), go to http://www.bostonpops.org/mms, or call the box office at 888-266-1200 and give the code MMS.
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Insurance Agency of MA, is the One-Stop Resource for Insurance, Financial
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