Uninsured Patients, Malpractice Insurance Woes Stress Miami Health Care Market

Originally published by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) as a Community Report, 2006.

Uninsured Patients and Malpractice Woes Strain Miami's Health Care Market

HSC researchers visited Miami as part of the Community Tracking Study and found a health care market under significant stress from two distinct sources: high rates of uninsurance and a malpractice insurance crisis that was driving physicians from the area. Miami's uninsurance rate ranked among the highest in the nation, placing enormous financial pressure on hospitals and safety net providers that were legally obligated to provide emergency care regardless of patients' ability to pay.

The malpractice insurance crisis added another layer of difficulty. Rapidly escalating malpractice premiums were making it financially untenable for some physicians, particularly those in high-risk specialties like obstetrics and neurosurgery, to continue practicing in South Florida. Some physicians were relocating to other states, retiring early, or dropping high-risk services from their practices, creating gaps in the availability of certain specialty services for Miami residents. The combination of high uninsurance and malpractice pressures created a uniquely challenging environment for maintaining an adequate supply of health care services for the community.

Sources and Further Reading

Center for Studying Health System Change, "Uninsured Patients, Malpractice Insurance Woes Stress Miami Health Care Market," Community Report, Community Tracking Study (2006).