News at-a-Glance

TDC Group 2023 Annual Report

Our TDC Group 2023 Annual Report is available for you and your clients. Focusing on our longstanding history of providing expert guidance, resources, and coverage for our members, the report highlights TDC Group’s commitment to best imaginable service and advocacy on behalf of the practice of good medicine. In an ever-shifting healthcare landscape, TDC Group is the most experienced partner in the nation helping healthcare professionals navigate change with certainty. We encourage you to review the report and gain a better understanding of all of the products and services TDC Group can offer your clients as we continue to build the preeminent organization for service to healthcare.

Q&A Provides Critical Coverage Information for Your New-to-Practice Midwife Clients

Midwives face distinct, significant, and long-lasting liability risks, and providing excellent care is not enough to mitigate them. For many midwives, the question of medical malpractice insurance likely comes up twice: first when considering a job offer, and second when a concerning case arises.

Careful evaluation of liability coverage options is essential for midwives to protect their licenses, reputations, professional and geographic mobility, and long-term financial health. Even if their employer provides coverage, having their own professional liability insurance is crucial for safeguarding their career.

If you have midwife clients who are new to practice, our Q&A with Ginger Breedlove, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN, “Midwives, Are You Covered? 5 Questions to Ask About Professional Liability Insurance,” provides answers to key questions your midwife clients may have about first-time purchasing of malpractice insurance.

Difference Between No-Payment and Indemnity Claims Explained in Our New Study

Nationwide, the cost of the average medical malpractice claim has increased dramatically, even as the frequency of claims against our insured clinicians has decreased. In November 2023, we released a study on diagnosis-related medical malpractice claims with an indemnity over $1 million.

These studies give us a better understanding of claim risk factors so that we can help healthcare professionals mitigate them to improve patient safety and decrease financial outlays. To expand our understanding of these factors, we have conducted a new analysis to identify how contributing factors differ between malpractice claims with no payment and claims with indemnity payments. Our closed claims analysis, “Contributing Factors to Medical Malpractice Claims: Study Examines Difference Between No-Payment and Indemnity Claims,” will give your clients important insights to help them direct their attention and their patient safety resources to mitigate risks and prevent poor outcomes in the future.

Chief Operating Officer Deepika Srivastava and The Doctors Company Claims Team Both Recognized by Business Insurance

We are proud to announce that The Doctors Company Chief Operating Officer Deepika Srivastava, MBA, PMP, has been named a Business Insurance 2024 Women to Watch honoree. The Women to Watch program, established in 2006 as a global program, honors women leaders who excel in risk management and commercial insurance.

In a separate awards ceremony in New York, The Doctors Company’s Claims team was named a Business Insurance2024 U.S. Insurance Awards finalist for Claims Team of the Year.

The recognition highlights the collaboration between our Patient Safety and Claims teams on Diagnosis-Related Medical Malpractice Claims With Indemnities Over $1 Million: Understanding the Primary Drivers. The study was chosen as a finalist for its work addressing high-indemnity verdicts, an industry-wide concern. “We are honored that our work educating clinicians on high-verdict awards and offering actionable insights to prevent such occurrences in the future was recognized for this prestigious award,” said Deepika Srivastava, Chief Operating Officer, The Doctors Company and TDC Group.

Unlike traditional awards that focus solely on individual achievements, the U.S. Insurance Awards recognize that major achievements are seldom the work of individuals alone but are the result of the talent and dedication of collective teams working on specific projects in the commercial insurance and risk management sectors. “We are honored that our team of experienced Claims experts has been recognized for its outstanding work,” said Ms. Srivastava. “We defend our members relentlessly and support them throughout every step of the litigation process.”

Bob White Speaks About the Impact of Rising Court Awards on the Medical Malpractice Insurance Sector

Robert E. White, Jr., President of The Doctors Company and TDC Group, was featured on The BI Interview, a video series by Business Insurance, where insurance industry thought leaders provide their insights. In the interview, he discusses our social inflation study, nuclear verdicts, and their effects on the medical malpractice insurance sector.

There was a 67 percent increase in the number of malpractice court awards of $10 million or more from 2014 to 2023. While there were only 12 verdicts of this size in 2014, the year 2023 brought a staggering 59 nuclear verdicts.

Skyrocketing malpractice verdicts, if left unchecked, will lead to healthcare becoming unaffordable and inaccessible. Bob White explains how social inflation and nuclear verdicts are forcing insurers to combat plaintiff attorney tactics, and how we are fighting nationwide to protect doctors and patients.

It’s Not Too Late to Schedule a Meeting with Us at the ASHRM 2024 Annual Conference

The Doctors Company’s admitted medical professional liability (MPL) team will be in San Diego, California, during the American Society for Health Care Risk Management (ASHRM) 2024 Annual Conference from October 6–9. If you are planning to be in San Diego during ASHRM, we welcome the opportunity to meet with you and your customers and share new developments from our admitted MPL team. Representatives from our Business Development, Underwriting, and Patient Safety and Risk Management Departments will be available throughout the conference. To schedule a meeting, contact Bruce Anderson, Vice President of National Business Development, at (800) 421-2368, extension 1206, or bruce.anderson@thedoctors.com.

Meet with Us at the World’s Largest Captive Insurance Forum in December

Our admitted MPL team will also be at the Cayman Captive Forum 2024 / Insurance Managers Association of Cayman (IMAC) from December 2–6. If you are planning to be in Grand Cayman, we would like to meet with you and your customers and discuss exciting news from The Doctors Company and what we have planned for the new year. Representatives from our Business Development and Underwriting Departments will be available throughout the conference. To schedule a meeting, contact Bruce Anderson, Vice President of National Business Development, at (800) 421-2368, extension 1206, or bruce.anderson@thedoctors.com.