Excluding surgeons, how much money do doctors typically have to pay
for insurance? Among doctors who aren't self-employed, who usually
pays these fees - the doctor or the hospital/clinic?

Hello, Gremlin.

I am making two assumptions: that by "insurance," you mean medical
malpractice insurance, and that you are seeking data related to
physicians in the United States.

Here's a table of the average premiums paid by Internists, General
Surgeons, and Ob/Gyns in 2002:

TABLE 8. Average Premiums for Internists, General Surgeons and
Obstetrician/Gynecologists 2002

State         Internists  General Surgeons   Ob-Gyns  
Indiana         $4,023        $14,574        $19,486  
South Dakota    $4,150        $13,853        $18,633  
North Dakota    $6,609        $16,238        $24,971  
Hawaii          $7,156        $25,756        $42,928  
Montana         $7,334        $26,775        $40,693  
Utah            $9,244        $37,299        $45,588  
New Mexico      $7,802        $35,915        $35,915  
California     $10,098        $28,693        $48,704  
Michigan       $26,146        $71,713        $88,945  

TOTAL US       $12,355        $36,564        $49,530  

Source: Medical Liability Monitor 2002 Report, September 24, 2002
(preliminary data).

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://aspe.hhs.gov/daltcp/reports/mlupd1.htm

===================================================

"...High-risk specialists  such as neurosurgeons and obstetricians in
high-risk states such as New York and Florida pay annual medical
malpractice insurance premiums of $100,000 to $200,000. During three
years in the 1980s, total medical malpractice premiums skyrocketed
from $2 billion to more than $5 billion. It is important to keep this
in perspective: The average physician pays medical malpractice
premiums of only $16,000."

University of Dayton
http://academic.udayton.edu/health/02organ/manage01g.htm

===================================================

Salaried physicans (such as those who are employed by health
maintenance organization, clinics, hospitals, and nursing facilities)
typically do not pay their own premiums. The cost of such physicians'
malpractice insurance is generally paid by their employers.

"The most common benefits for salaried family physicians (as indicated
by the percentage of respondents who said their employers provided
that benefit) were malpractice insurance (95 percent), health
insurance (89.3 percent) and CME expenses (84.4 percent)."

American Academy of Family Physicians
http://www.aafp.org/fpm/970700fm/salaried.html

===================================================

Search terms used:

medical insurance
medical liability insurance
medical malpractice insurance
united states
physicians
salaried physicians
average premium
national average

I hope this information is useful. If anything I've said is in need of
explanation, or if any of the links do not function, please request
clarification, and I'll gladly offer further assistance.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

---

Request for Answer Clarification by gremlin-ga on 01 Mar 2003 16:26 PST

Can you find information on a few non-surgical specializations? I'm
interested in allergists/immunologists, family practitioners, and
radiologists.

---

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 01 Mar 2003 16:38 PST

I'll see what I can find out about insurance rates for
allergists/immunologists, family practitioners, and radiologists.

~pinkfreud

---

Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 01 Mar 2003 17:06 PST

Gremlin,

Here's some more data on physicians' malpractice premiums, focusing on
the medical specialties you mentioned.

=================================================== 

A ballpark estimate of $8,000 to $10,000 a year for radiologists:

"Sonographers working with OB/GYNs may have witnessed physician flight
firsthand. Current malpractice insurance costs for OB/GYNs in Dade
County, Fla., average about $200,000 a year. In other states, rates of
$50,000-$100,000 a year for OB/GYNs are common.

Compare that to the $8,000-$12,000 annual malpractice rates that
radiologists generally pay nationwide, and you'll see why imaging is
once again in a favorable position."

Advance Online Edition for Imaging and Oncology Administrators
http://www.advanceforioa.com/pastarticles/oct07_02cover.html

=================================================== 

A figure of $8,179 for allergists:

"PI's [Physician's Insurance] base rates range from $8,179 for
allergists and occupational-medicine doctors to $78,567 for
neurosurgeons."

Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/134638512_malpracticeqa21m.html

An average of $7,500 for allergists and immunologists in 1998:

"The allergists and immunologists participating in the survey paid an
average of $7,500 for malpractice insurance in 1998. This fee varies
according to practice setting."

Duke University School of Medicine
http://pathway.mc.duke.edu/allergy.htm

=================================================== 

Regarding family practitioners, whether or not they deliver babies
makes a huge difference:

Malpractice data
Average malpractice insurance premiums          1997      2002
Family practice M.D.s not delivering babies   $7,547     $9,768
Family practice, delivering babies               N/A    $37,449

Washington State Medical Association
http://www.wsma.org/news/Tribnet.com_News.htm

=================================================== 

~pinkfreud