Texas Medical Malpractice Insurance

Lower Rates Available For Texas Doctors – Are You Overpaying?

Major Carrier in Texas Reduces Rates by average of 9.5%

A Free Quote Could Save You Money Today

• "A" Rated Carriers.
• Occurrence Coverage Available.
• Prior Acts (Tail) Coverage is included.
• Discounts Available .... New to Practice, Claim Free Discounts & more.
• Switch Anytime - you do not need to wait until your renewal date.
• Complete assistance for Texas doctors with claims. Do not let prior claims or frivolous lawsuits prevent you from practicing medicine.
• Many doctors now have unique or very specific coverage needs. Let an experienced insurance professional work with you to tailor a policy to your individual situation.
• Top-rated advice and assistance from experienced, trusted insurance professionals who know the Texas market and who work for you to get the best rates and coverage.
• A free quote could save you money today.

Texas Medical Malpractice Insurance Rates

As a doctor practicing in Texas there are a number of factors that will go into determining your medical malpractice insurance rate (e.g. New to practice, Full-time vs. Part-time, Occurrence or Claims Made). In order to ensure that you have the right coverage at the best price simply submit your free quote request today and a friendly liability consultant will be glad to review all your options with you.

Texas Medical Malpractice Insurance Climate

Texas stands as a shining example of the benefits inherent in effective tort reform. Prior to the state’s sweeping 2003 medical liability reforms, Texas ranked 49th out of 50 states in doctor-per-citizen ratio. Of the state’s 254 counties, more than 150 had no obstetricians and more than 120 had no pediatricians. At the time, the rate of medical malpractice claims in the Rio Grande Valley alone was 211 percent above the national average. Thirteen of the 17 physician liability insurance providers that had been writing in Texas exited the state and many doctors felt forced to retire or move their practice.

Armed with these statistics, Gov. Rick Perry declared medical malpractice a statewide crisis and urged legislators to enact meaningful tort reforms in order to lower skyrocketing professional liability premiums, attract doctors to under-served regions of the state and improve Texans’ access to healthcare.

The then-newly-elected Republican majority in the state legislature answered the call by passing House Bill 4 (HB4), which addressed issues such as limits on non-economic damages, punitive damages as well as joint and several medical liability (joint and several liability, sometimes called the "deep pocket" rule, makes each and every defendant in a tort lawsuit liable for the entire amount of the plaintiff's damages regardless of the defendants' relative degrees of fault or responsibility).

The reforms included a cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, limits on how long after an incident a lawsuit can be filed and tightening up requirements for "top-rated" testimony. Doctors who volunteer their time were afforded more protections, and class action rules were tightened. The Wall Street Journal called the changes adopted in HB4 “Ten Gallon Tort Reform.”

Texas malpractice premiums have decreased more than 20 percent

While HB4 has been referred to as a model bill by numerous commentators because it addressed so many changes necessary to extinguish the litigation crisis, what separates Texas’ tort climate from many other states with reform legislation is that voters approved a constitutional amendment, Proposition 12, which eliminates potential court challenges to the law that capped non-economic damages. Since the enactment of HB4 and the subsequent passage of Proposition 12, malpractice premiums have decreased more than 20 percent and Texas has made great strides in attracting new physicians to the state.

"The facts are simply indisputable," said Gov. Perry, one year after signing the reforms into law. "Voter-approved medical liability reforms are healing the practice of medicine by reducing insurance costs and frivolous lawsuits, making it easier for communities to recruit new doctors and expanding patient access to needed care."

The only drawback, if it can be called that, to the success of state’s tort reforms has been that the influx of doctors lured to Texas by new limits on malpractice lawsuits has overwhelmed the state board that screens candidates for medical licenses. The Texas Medical Board recently reported that the number of physician license applications increased by a third in fiscal 2006, to 4,026, from 2,992 in fiscal 2005 (Medical Board Statistics, Fiscal Years 2001-2007), but that additional staffing has helped decrease the wait for a medical license from about 100 days in 2007 to 44 days presently.

Over 30 medical malpractice insurance companies in Texas

Following the demand created by the influx of physicians, there are now more than 30 new carriers providing coverage in Texas. This increased competition benefits you, the physician, as more competition means rates are decreasing. Make sure you are not overpaying and get the best rates available by submitting your free quote.

“[Tort reform] is a victory for the people of Texas,” Gov. Perry said. “We are all patients of the healthcare system. We all depend on qualified physicians and nurses. [Through tort reform} Texans have taken an important step toward protecting both the practice of medicine and Texans’ access to quality healthcare.”