First few Article Sentences
Managing risk of loss related to medical malpractice claims is a significant operational and financial consideration for many health care entities. It also presents several financial reporting and accounting challenges for organizations due to both the complexity of the risk management structures used as well as the complexity of promulgated accounting standards.
Although health care entities manage their risk through a variety of structures including higher deductible plans, self-insured retentions, retrospective premiums, and captive insurance companies, health care entities typically use commercial insurance to manage some portion of the risk of loss from medical malpractice. It’s critical that each health care entity identify its risk and the portion of that risk that is covered by insurance, since an assessment of the insured risk is necessary for the determination of anticipated insurance recoveries, a fundamental concept in measuring the financial statement impact of medical malpractice claim obligations.