When healthcare providers in jails and prisons cannot get affordable or comprehensive malpractice insurance, incarcerated patients – who often have complex medical needs – face the threat of losing essential, life-saving healthcare. Treating incarcerated patients carries unusually high legal risks, but with unchecked liability soaring out of control, insurance providers are backing away, rendering coverage unavailable, unaffordable, or limited.
This shortage of coverage doesn’t just impact providers: it robs states and municipalities of access to providers and puts vulnerable patients at risk of losing access to the high-quality care they deserve. Policymakers need to understand what is happening in the field and should adopt reforms to rein in lawsuit abuse – in the name of the states and municipalities they represent, and the vulnerable populations they serve.
