In 1992, Congress passed legislation for HRSA through the Bureau of Primary Health Care to institute a Federal Government Self-insured malpractice program that was named “Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA program). Since its inception in 1992 there has now been an estimated cost savings of $1.6 BILLION. That means that this money has been poured back into health centers and healthcare for the poor instead of to the very profitable malpractice insurance companies.
I wonder what would happen if the US had a healthcare system based on CHCs where all providers were covered by FTCA??? How many health care dollars would then be diverted from private malpractice insurance and into healthcare for all!!!!!!
From 2002-2007 the number of claims per million patient encounters has decreased from 6.2 to 3.8 which is a remarkable 38% DECREASE!!!
There has also been a steady growth in cost savings each of the past 5 years ($164 million in 2002 to $193 million in 2007). This has all been accomplished “during a period of time when the demands of increased exposure stemming from higher patient volume and greater complexity of care delivery”.
FTCA helps all of us when we are out there selling a career in migrant/community health centers. We can now truly state that this malpractice insurance (FTCA) is the best malpractice insurance a provider can have. Why?? Because it costs the health center and provider nothing, there is no upper limit to the claim so there is no liability at all to the providers and there is no time limit on your coverage (you are covered for life for all of the time you were covered by FTCA at your health center (i.e. no “tail coverage” necessary). And if you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a malpractice case you will be defended in Federal Court by an expert Federal Malpractice Attorney.