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A recent report on obstetrics services in Pennsylvania serves as a wake-up call to policy makers that our healthcare system here - especially when you look at specialty medical services - is in a fragile state. Without policy changes to improve reimbursement for services provided and to lower the cost of medical liability insurance, patients will have fewer choices for quality medical care.
Consider these startling facts from the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council's Report:
-During the past 10 years 33 hospital obstetrical units, as well as many neonatal intensive care units, have closed across the state.
-The growing disparity between reimbursements for obstetric services and the cost to provide them threatens the ability of hospitals to provide these services.
-Nearly a third of southeast Pennsylvania's obstetricians/gynecologists have left the region or stopped practicing obstetrics since 2001.
-The total cost of professional liability coverage for Pennsylvania hospitals has doubled since 2000 and since January 2003, nearly 70 percent of OB/GYNs have limited their practices or increased their use of "defensive medicine" (such as performing more cesareans) because of the lack of affordability or availability of professional liability insurance.
Improving Pennsylvania's insurance reimbursement policies and common sense liability reforms need to be part of the solutions to improve our healthcare system.
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