Medical malpractice issues are an ongoing issue. Just to clarify, private practice doctors can and do work in hospitals as well. There are some doctors, though, who are employed by a hospital, just as there are some doctors who are employed by HMO's.

In private practice, most doctors have to pay for their own malpractice insurance - occasionally, the "group" that someone joins will cover their malpractice costs. In some areas, a hospital will cover someone's malpractice insurance because they need to attract a doctor to work in that area. HMO's will typically cover malpractice insurance costs, as do hospitals for their employees. Just because a doctor works for a hospital, or HMO, does not mean that they can not be sued.

If you can give more specific questions, I'll do my best to find some answers.

Thanks for the quick response. I might have to do a bit more self-clarification on the whole system. I suppose my specific question has to do with getting sued. I am aware of many doctors complaining about the cost of their medical malpractice insurance and I am wondering if the hospital they are employed by pays for it, why are they worried so much about rising premiums? I am so confused, I guess I missed Introduction to Insurance and Liability!!!! Thanks again.

I would guess that it is a minority of doctors who have their insurance covered by a hospital.

Even if the hospital is covering their insurance, if the rates go up substantially, the hospital may choose not to cover the cost of the insurance, or may reduce the doctor's salary to adjust for the malpractice insurace costs.

Again, the majority of doctors have to pay their own malpractice insurance, and thus the increased costs come directly out of their pockets. In some states this has gotten so bad that people are beginning to refuse to practice medicine in areas.

There may not be enough space to get into all of this, but how does something as significant as insurance premiums meaning less practicing physicians get fixed? What will this mean for the future doctors? Does the group as a whole just need to wait until the law catches up with the changing times or will something be done about this? I am an American citizen who has lived in Australia for the last few years now returning for medical school, so I am a bit behind on the latest...
Thanks, Amanda