In September the Executive Committee of the Council of State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS) met and reviewed seven resolutions that will be discussed and voted upon at the Oct. 18 meeting.
That same week I received a phone call from an old friend who has been in practice for two decades in a Southern metropolis. “Do you know of any good jobs around?” he queried. He explained that despite a careful and conservative practice, which had carried him through two decades of busy clinical practice without a single medical liability suit, his liability insurance carrier had recently sent him a letter announcing that it no longer could afford to offer him malpractice coverage…at any price. As a consequence, he was forced to close his doors and look for another state in which to practice. He was unable to get liability insurance in the state in which he had given good care for 20 years.
In a Midwestern suburb another neurosurgeon, a solid fixture in his community, had to file bankruptcy after 25 years of hard work for his local community. A single adverse judgment in a medical liability suit exceeded his insurance limits. The courts garnered his personal assets, forcing him to file for bankruptcy protection. Now he finds that when he applies for a credit card, he can’t get one. He can’t buy a car because no one will approve his loan application.
In a Northeastern city, a group of two established neurosurgeons was told last year that their professional liability insurance carrier would probably not be able to cover them in the upcoming year. These neurosurgeons were unable to get liability insurance through any other carrier in the state. After a month of putting operations on hold, not knowing whether to close their doors or forge ahead, they received notice that they would be covered for another year but that their premiums would be $180,000 per person. Now, a year later, they have received a similar letter from their liability insurance carrier, and once again they don’t know whether they will be able to keep their doors open for another year.
As we get caught up in our busy lives we hear stories like these, but don’t stop to think that such catastrophes actually do happen and that they really could happen to us.
Clearly, the medical liability crisis has progressed in severity from what it was just one year ago. At that time there was widespread concern about the rapidly increasing professional liability insurance rates, and the ultimate concern was that as neurosurgeons began to move, retire, or limit or close their practices, eventually there would be an adverse effect on patient access to neurosurgical care.
The 2002 CSNS study of neurosurgeons’ professional liability insurance rates, reported in the Bulletin’s Winter 2002 issue, confirmed both the rapid rate of increases and their adverse effect on how or whether neurosurgeons could continue to practice.
And now we hear ever more frequently of neurosurgeons who must close their doors. It is apparent that the crisis will not resolve itself.
The leadership of organized neurosurgery is attacking the medical liability crisis through a public information campaign to enact federal medical liability reform. Neurosurgery and several other “at risk” specialties have joined together in this effort. Isn’t it time you got involved?
Give Just Two Things
Your profession is calling upon you to give just two things-your time and your money. The leadership of the AANS and CNS has asked every neurosurgeon to contribute $1,000 per year for three years to Neurosurgeons to Preserve Health Care Access (NPHCA). The CSNS Executive Committee members each have given $1,000 to NPHCA, showing support for this important initiative in both word and deed. We ask you to do the same. If you wait until this crisis strikes home, you have waited too long.
The CSNS, in conjunction with the Washington Committee, also is planning the National Leadership Development Conference (NLDC), which will take place in Washington, D.C., next summer from July 16 to 19. We particularly are in need of neurosurgeons from states in which key legislators are running for reelection.
The NLDC will offer one day of lectures on the issues before Congress that will have the greatest impact on practicing neurosurgeons. You will learn how discuss these issues with your legislators, and then you will have the opportunity to put your skills to the test the next day on Capitol Hill. Your efforts will pave the way for future communication between your legislators and our Washington Committee personnel as well as Washington Office staff.
Please plan to attend. As a constituent, you have the greatest impact on your legislators’ votes.
Checks payable to NPHCA can be sent to Neurosurgeons to Preserve Health Care Access, 5550 Meadowbrook Drive, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008-3852. For additional information, go to www.neuros2preservecare.org.