Details about this story

• Source: Miami Herald
• Date: December 10, 2006
• URL: Read the story
• Bylines: Jacob Goldstein , Tim Henderson
• Topics: Health Care
• Data Types: State Data
• Description/Excerpt: The profiles of hundreds of Florida doctors -- including more than 250 in Miami-Dade and Broward counties alone -- fail to report malpractice payments as required by state law, an analysis by The Miami Herald has found. The profiles of roughly 1,000 doctors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties do show malpractice payments, suggesting an underreporting rate of about 20 percent. State law requires doctors to verify their information every two years, when they renew their license, and to update their profile within 15 days after any changes occur. The law also requires the Department of Health to independently verify certain pieces of information, including disciplinary history and malpractice payments. According to the statute, the profiles must include all judgments and settlements of more than $100,000 for medical doctors and osteopaths, and more than $5,000 for podiatrists, from the past 10 years. Doctors are supposed to report the payments. In addition, the Department of Health receives regular updates from the Office of Insurance Regulation, which keeps a database of malpractice payments in the state.