Physicians in California are anxiously awaiting the results of Proposition 46, a new law that has potential to drastically change the fundamentals of medical practice in the state.“Basically, it will raise the cap on what a physician can be held liable for in court. It includes the very nebulous 'pain and suffering' clause, something that is very hard to disprove in litigation,” said Michael Kataf of Nexus Insurance Services, a provider of medical malpractice insurance.
Nexus Insurance is the first line of defense in the case of a medical malpractice lawsuit. Based in the Laguna Hills area of California, the company already has several physicians covered with several million dollars of insurance.
“Our goal is to protect physicians and their livelihood. There are too many who will sooner voluntarily surrender their medical license rather than fight a lawsuit. This does nothing but perpetuate the doctor shortage in the state and country as a whole,” continued Kataf.
Proposition 46 would essentially raise the cap from its current level of $250,000.00 to $1.1 million. This is above the medical malpractice insurance cap of many physicians. The individual would be responsible for any excess fees above the cap.
“This law, should it pass, has the potential to bankrupt the medical profession,” said Kataf.
Kataf and his associates are standing firmly with their physicians. Nexus Insurance is encouraging everyone to educate themselves on the law and the potential ramifications should it pass.
“There will be lots of hyperbole about the law on both sides. Those who are firmly for the law will certainly try to paint malpractice in a poor a light as possible. Many will look for the worst possible scenarios and push those specifically,” said Kataf.
Meanwhile, new physicians or established physicians seeking medical malpractice insurance should contact Nexus for a free, no obligation quote.
Visit www.nexus-insurance.net for more.