| The Doctor’s Advocate | Third Quarter 2006 |
Industry and Company News
A.M. Best Company Awards The Doctors Company an A- (Excellent) Rating
We are pleased to announce that the A.M. Best Company has upgraded our rating to A- (Excellent). Best cited The Doctors Company’s continued underwriting discipline and strong overall capitalization. “This rating by A.M. Best confirms The Doctors Company’s consistently strong performance and our outstanding ability to provide our policyholders with the service they deserve and have come to expect,” said Richard E. Anderson, M.D., F.A.C.P., chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company.
New Patient Safety Credit for ACP Members
The Doctors Company and the American College of Physicians (ACP) are pleased to announce the industry’s first program that offers physician-members of ACP a credit for maintaining their board certification. The 5 percent credit, which is separate from our ACP pro-gram discount, is available to physicians with time-limited certificates who recertify and to physicians with time-unlimited certificates who voluntarily recertify.
“We believe this credit distinguishes member physicians who are personally motivated to provide the highest level of patient care,” said Dr. Anderson. “This is another way in which we are living our mission to advance and protect the practice of good medicine.”
Pap Smear/Pap Test Premium Credit
In response to requests from our insured pathologists who no longer provide gynecologic cytology services, The Doctors Company is offering a premium credit based on the number of years that an insured pathologist has not interpreted Pap smears/tests or served as medical director of a gynecologic cytology laboratory. For example, if no Pap smear/test professional services have been provided in:
 |
|
 |
 Amount of Premium Credit |
| Four years |
10%
|
| Three years |
8%
|
| Two years |
6%
|
| One year |
4%
|
Patient Safety Alert: “I’m Sorry” Laws Differ in Each State
As the “I’m Sorry” movement gains momentum, more institutions and health systems across the country are implementing adverse event disclosure programs. Because each program is governed by the laws of its state, we believe that every physician must also become familiar with the legislation in his or her individual state. Read our latest alert at www.thedoctors.com/alerts.
Local Physician Advisory Board Update
The second Virginia Physician Advisory Board meeting took place on June 14, 2006, at the Medical Society of Virginia in Richmond. The group discussed four medical malpractice cases, and physician board members were instrumental in helping to decide standard of care issues, causation, and damage elements. Board members also participated with questions on recent Virginia tort reform efforts, significant case law updates, and management of clinical research exposure.
Our Virginia Physician Advisory Board will meet twice each year, with the next scheduled meeting to take place on December 7, 2006. If you are interested in participating as a Virginia Physician Advisory Board member, please contact Bruce Kleeman, vice president of Claims in our Eastern Regional Office in Richmond, at (877) 507-0807.
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.