Are physicians fleeing because of tort reform?

We’ve been told that physicians leave the state because of medical liability. Interesting, the American Association for Justice challenged this assumption after reviewing data supplied by the American Medical Association. Key points from the AAJ’s analysis are found below:

1. The number of doctors continues to rise nationwide and in every state.  There are now twice as many doctors per capita than when the AMA began tracking physician numbers in the 1960s.
2. The number of doctors has risen over the last five years in all states.
3. Only Alaska, Georgia, Montana and Utah – all with medical malpractice caps – did not outpace population growth.
4. The analysis also found the number of physicians per capita (100,000 population) was 13 percent higher in states without caps.  This finding echoes research from the Commonwealth Fund and the American College of Emergency Physicians, which found health care quality and patient safety are far worse in states that have eliminated accountability through tort reform measures.

Some specialties saw significant increases in the number of doctors.  Neurosurgeons, OB/GYNS and emergency room doctors all increased over the last five years nationally.