Hospitals and physicians should prepare for increasing liability costs, according to the 2010 Hospital Professional Liability and Physician Liability Benchmark Analysis created by Aon Risk Solution. In its 11th year, the study confirms that claims against hospitals has entered a growth phase. U.S.-based hospitals are expected to face more than 44,000 claims arising from incidents occurring in 2009, according to the report, with anticipated costs exceeding $8.6 billion. Two key hospital risk areas, the obstetrics unit and the emergency department, contribute more than $1.4 billion and $1 billion respectively to overall cost.

Professional liability expenses are passed on to consumers as higher costs for services which continue to fuel double digit health care costs predicted for 2011.

Source: Aon Risk Solution

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