1 In many cases, certification is required by the state. 2  As technology advances, more employers will seek highly trained health information technicians to assist in the modernization of a healthcare facility's record management system. 3  The medical coder's job is to review various medical documents provided by physicians.
Of course, it's tough to define the average malpractice premium even within specialties. Premiums differ widely across the country, and not always predictably, either. Take New York state, where medical-liability premiums are notoriously high. Rates peak not in New York City but on Long Island. There, internists paid an average of $36,074 in 2012 to 2013, according to the nonprofit organization Excellus, which is licensed by Blue Cross Blue Shield. The NEJM article cited above puts ER doctors and internists side by side in terms of malpractice costs they incur.
If the loss exceeds that dollar amount, then the policyholder is responsible for paying the excess. In malpractice insurance, most policies have two coverage limits: A per-occurence limit and an aggregate limit. The per-occurrence limit states how much the insurer will pay for a single loss, claim, or occurrence. An aggregate limit is the total amount an insurer will pay for all claims in a given policy period, typically for one year. The most common coverage limit seen in a medical malpractice liability insurance policy is $1 million per occurrence and $3 million in total per year. There are several complicated issues that physicians need to be aware of when dealing with coverage limits. The first is the issue of related claims.