Industry and Company News
Our Revolutionary New Member Benefit
We are pleased to introduce the TributeSM Plan, a breakthrough new financial benefit that rewards physician-members for their loyalty to the company and for their commitment to outstanding patient care.
“The Tribute Plan is a significant reward that underscores The Doctors Company’s mission to advance, protect, and reward the practice of good medicine,” said Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company. “As a member-owned, doctor-led organization, we believe that if we work together to promote outstanding patient care and keep claims low, we all win.”
The Tribute Plan utilizes a loyalty pool to reward members. A portion of the balance is allocated to each physician’s account annually based on that physician’s premium. Members will receive their Tribute Plan award when they reach age 55 or older, have five or more years of continuous coverage with The Doctors Company, and retire from the practice of medicine.
“The Tribute Plan is a long-term commitment to our members and to improving the environment in which our doctors practice. We believe it is a benefit that no other national medical malpractice carrier can match,” continued Dr. Anderson.
To check your balance or to learn more about the Tribute Plan, please visit www.thedoctors.com/tribute.
The Doctors Company Announces Membership Dividend
On March 1, The Doctors Company’s Board of Governors approved a premium dividend to recognize and reward our physician-members for their loyalty and partnership in helping further advance and protect the practice of good medicine.
The dividend credit will provide an average premium reduction of 7.5 percent to members in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Members of our national programs will receive a 5-percent dividend credit.
Dividend payments will appear as a credit against current premiums effective with renewals beginning in July.
The Doctors Company Acquires TriState Medical Insurance Company
On April 1, we acquired the medical professional liability insurance book of business of TriState Medical Insurance Company (TriMed), a risk retention group writing medical malpractice insurance in southwestern Ohio and northern Kentucky.
“The Doctors Company welcomes the opportunity to expand our industry-renowned member services and rewards to a greater number of physicians in the region,” said Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company. “We are firmly committed to Ohio, and the acquisition of TriMed will enhance our ability to provide our aggressive defense of physician-members, leadership in patient safety, and medical liability reform to even more Ohio doctors.”
All physicians currently insured by TriMed will have the opportunity to renew their coverage with The Doctors Company or one of its subsidiary companies, providing them access to the full range of industry-leading benefits available to members of The Doctors Company.
Donald M. Berwick, MD, Named as Recipient of the Vanguard Award for Patient Safety
We are pleased to award Donald M. Berwick, MD, with The Doctors Company’s Vanguard Award for Patient Safety.
We are honoring Dr. Berwick for his important leadership contributions to the national patient safety movement, particularly in the areas of health care quality and improvement. He is president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), an organization he co-founded in 1991.
“Dr. Berwick has been an effective advocate for implementing evidence-based interventions and system strategies designed to protect patients from harm and save lives,” said David B. Troxel, MD, medical director for The Doctors Company. “IHI’s overall efforts suggest repeatedly that process improvement does indeed contribute to the improvement of outcomes in the prevention of patient injuries. IHI is a major contributor to advancing the cause of patient safety in our health care system.”
Ohio Physician Advisory Board Update
Dr. Molly Katz was a guest speaker at the April 5 meeting of our Ohio Physician Advisory Board in Columbus. In addition to her role as physician-director of risk management at OHIC Insurance Company, Dr. Katz is also immediate past president of the Ohio State Medical Association and serves on various committees.
This was the first meeting of our Ohio Physician Advisory Board since our acquisition of OHIC. The management staff of OHIC was introduced at the meeting.
Board members evaluated four claim files that involved six physicians in specialties ranging from anesthesiology to family practice, gynecology, internal medicine, and obstetrics.
Two of the cases involved surgical clearance. In one case, a claim resulted when the family practice physician providing the clearance for surgery suggested that a cardiac workup might be beneficial, and the anesthesiologist handling the surgery decided that, because the patient had been asymptomatic for over 10 years, a cardiac workup would not be required.
Two recommendations came from this discussion:
- As the consulting physician, make clear recommendations. Suggesting that a particular test might be beneficial is not helpful.
- As the receiving physician, provide clear documentation for your reasons if you decide not to follow a consultant’s recommendation.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published by The Doctors Company to advise and inform its members about loss prevention and insurance issues.
The guidelines suggested in this newsletter are not rules, do not constitute legal advice, and do not ensure a successful outcome. They attempt to define principles of practice for providing appropriate care. The principles are not inclusive of all proper methods of care nor exclusive of other methods reasonably directed at obtaining the same results.
The ultimate decision regarding the appropriateness of any treatment must be made by each health care provider in light of all circumstances prevailing in the individual situation and in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which the care is rendered.
The Doctor’s Advocate is published quarterly by Corporate Communications, The Doctors Company. Letters and articles, to be edited and published at the editor’s discretion, are welcome. The views expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of The Doctors Company. Please sign your letters, and address them to the editor.