How much does medical malpractice insurance cost in Georgia?

Rates for physician malpractice insurance can vary depending on where you practice within the state. Most major insurance companies classify Georgia into 2 territories.

 

  1. Atlanta Metro (higher rated)
  2. Rest of State (lower rated)

You will want multiple quotes to get an accurate view of the marketplace. This is one of the many reasons it’s important to work with an insurance agency that specializes in medical malpractice insurance. Below are mature, base rates with no credits or discounts. We typically get our clients a 15-30% reduction from these rates:

Atlanta Metro
Specialty
Average Rate
Anesthesiology
$17,300
Internal Medicine
$13,000
Family Practice
$13,000
Dermatology
$10,500
Cardiology
$22,400
General Surgeon
$45,900
OB/GYN
$74,900
Orthopedic Surgeon
$43,800
Urologist
$22,400
Ophthalmic Surgeon
$17,300
Rest of State
Specialty
Average Rate
Anesthesiology
$16,500
Internal Medicine
$12,400
Family Practice
$12,400
Dermatology
$10,000
Cardiology
$23,200
General Surgeon
$48,200
OB/GYN
$76,600
Orthopedic Surgeon
$41,700
Urologist
$21,300
Ophthalmic Surgeon
$16,500

The majority of Georgia’s Medical Malpractice Insurance policies are written with the following companies.

  • Medical Protective
  • Mag Mutual
  • CURI Holdings
  • Doctors Direct Insurance Company
  • The Doctors Company
  • ProAssurance/Norcal
  • Coverys
  • CNA

Medical malpractice requirements in Georgia

Limits of Liability: The most common limits of liability in Georgia are $1 million per claim with an annual aggregate cap of $3 million. Some providers will offer lower limits but this is very uncommon in the state of Georgia.  

Most hospitals require a physician to carry malpractice insurance prior to granting admitting privileges. Some of the hospital systems requiring this include, but are not limited to:Wellstar Health, Tanner Health, Piedmont Health, SGHS, Phoebe Punity Hospital and Grady Health System.

History of medical malpractice insurance in Georgia

Georgia has a history of high rates and an unfavorable climate for physicians. However, in recent years there have been several new carriers entering the market. This increased competition has helped drive premiums down.  Also, the Georgia Code § 51-12-5.1 established a cap of $250,000 on punitive damages in medical malpractice cases. Of course, payouts in cases involving particularly egregious negligence or intentional malice could soar past this cap. Tort reform and increased competition has helped shift the medical malpractice market in favor of the physicians.