cost of malpractice in health care
A new study reveals that the cost of medical malpractice in the United States is running at about $55.6 billion a year â $45.6 billion of which is spent on defensive medicine practiced by physicians seeking to stay clear of lawsuits. The amount comprises 2.4% of the nationâs total health care expenditure. The numbers are the result of a Harvard School of Public Health study published in the September edition of Health Affairs, purporting to be the most reliable estimate of malpractice costs to date.