Sunday, May 10, 2009

Doctors Are Still Tops in Pay (But Complain About Malpractice Premiums Anyway)

Another year, another survey, and once again physicians are found to take home the biggest paydays in America. In fact, out of the ten top paying jobs, nine go to medical professionals.

It's something to think about when doctors complain about malpractice premiums. Complaining about an expense is OK, but it is only relevant if the complainers also disclose their income. Saying an insurance premium is 20K means one thing if a person nets out 45K, but it means something else entirely when the person nets out 150K.

This is not to say that doctors don't deserve the big paychecks. Some do, some don't, it depends on the individual. And many doctors do carry extra debt from four years of medical school and low-wage residencies.

But if a medical professional is going to complain about an expense of working, they should nevertheless be prepared to also disclose their income. Because expenses have no context without knowing what it means in terms of income.

Labels: Insurance Industry, Medical Malpractice

posted by Eric Turkewitz
Permanent Link

The New York Personal Injury Law Blog is sponsored by its creator, Eric Turkewitz of The Turkewitz Law Firm. The blog might be considered a form of attorney advertising in accordance with New York rules going into effect February 1, 2007 (22 NYCRR 1200.1, et. seq.) As of July 14, 2008, Law.com became an advertiser, as you can see in the sidebar. Law.com does not control the editorial content of the blog in any way.

Throughout the blog as it develops, you may see examples of cases we have handled, or cases from others, that are used for illustrative purposes. Since all cases are different, and legal authority may change from year to year, it is important to remember that prior results in any particular case do not guarantee or predict similar outcomes with respect to any future matter, including yours, in which any lawyer or law firm may be retained.

Some of the commentary may be become outdated. Some might be a minority opinion, or simply wrong. No reader should consider this site (or any other) to be authoritative, and if a legal issue is presented, the reader should contact an attorney of his or her own choosing for advice.

Finally, we are not responsible for the comments of others that may be added to this site.