New York Doctors Seek Malpractice Moratorium

New York physicians are asking for a moratorium on a medical malpractice insurance rate hike that state insurance officials are expected to announce next week. The rates, set each year by the state’s Insurance Department, are expected to go up by as much as 9% on July 1, physicians and insurance industry sources said. By law, the agency could also impose an additional 8% levy on doctors to supplement the reserves of the malpractice insurance carriers, which might otherwise be exhausted in the near future. The rate hike comes just as doctors nationwide are bracing for reduced payments from the federal government, which is scheduled to cut fees by 10.6% to doctors who treat Medicare patients. The House of Representatives passed legislation to reverse the reimbursement cut — which is also expected to take effect July 1 — but President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation.

Please click on the link below to read the New York Sun article:

http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-york-doctors-seek-malpractice-moratorium/80839/

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.

Medicare Payment Cuts Blocked by Senate

The U.S. Senate has approved legislation that will delay cuts in Medicare reimbursements to physicians. Republican senators had previously blocked consideration of the bill, but, on a second attempt, Democrats rallied 69 votes, enough to stop a filibuster and overcome a possible veto. It had already passed the House of Representatives and will now be sent to the White House. The scheduled 10.6 percent cut will be delayed by 18 months. The bill also provides a 1.1 percent increase in reimbursements to physicians and bonuses for doctors serving in rural communities.

Please click on the link below to read the South Florida Business Journal article:

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/07/07/daily38.html?f=et81&ana=e_du

For more information on defending medical malpractice and nursing home matters in Florida contact Howard Citron at The Citron Law Firm, P.A. – www.citronlegal.com.