The cost of malpractice is forcing OBs out of Washington, DC

“Unchecked jury awards and lawyer fees, and the lack of a review board make the city too “hostile, noxious and toxic,” said Dr. Damian Alagia, who stopped delivering babies in the District five years ago because of insurance costs.

Alagia said the District’s doctors are too often forced to bean-count rather than practice medicine.

‘You have to increase the volume of deliveries each year to cover costs which only increases risk,’ said Alagia, who teaches surgery at George Washington University. ‘And now with a higher volume, you are always playing a defensive game and fearful of a lawsuit so you’re not focusing on the patient’s care. It’s a dangerous cycle.'” (via Common Good)