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Because Westwood is working in the front lines of the insurance industry, we have unique insite into different trends and events that are shaping the future of the industry, the policies offered by insurers and the prices your medical clients can expect to pay.
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Westwood commentary

Admin costs ‘the tip of the iceberg’ for healthcare organizations hit by cyber attacks
With increased patient mortality rates for 23% of organizations hit by cyber attacks, the looming threat of medical malpractice claims far outweigh any other costs. Healthcare providers are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals for patient data, causing...

Social Media presents an deluge of challenges for Medical Facilities
Unacceptable behavior by physicians and healthcare professionals is on the rise, corresponding with increased attacks on physicians by patientsLive streaming of surgical procedures, particularly plastic surgery has become increasingly popular in recent years and while...

Could the technology behind Bitcoin help secure medical records?
Cyber security is a growing problem for healthcare providers, who often struggle to keep the records of their patients secure. Cyber insurance coverage is not generally mandated by law and many healthcare organizations remain uninsured, even though laws and...

Disturbing trends that could contribute to an increase in medical malpractice claims
Unacceptable behavior by physicians and healthcare professionals is on the rise, corresponding with increased attacks on physicians by patientsThe leading online global destination for physicians and healthcare professionals worldwide, Medscape, recently released a...

Agents should work with a good medical malpractice broker
Just another mouth to feed is possibly the first thought when considering the use of a wholesale broker, and in many instances there is an element of truth to that. When you set out working as an independent agent, as with any other field, there is a temptation to “do...

Agents must keep up with developments in telehealth and telemedicine malpractice insurance
Sometimes with rapid advances in technology, litigation laws and insurance policies lag behind. This is a danger with telemedicine malpractice insurance. In this climate of change, if insurance agents are going to continue providing the best possible service to their...

How Digital Healthcare will change the Insurance needs of Medical Professionals
Digital healthcare of all types is on the increase and it’s not just as a result of the COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic was a catalyst for a growing industry with increasing demand. Certainly there was a drive toward digital through 2020 and 2021, but advancing...

A lesson in Liability Insurance for Chiropractors
A visit to the chiropractor for a 32-year-old patient in Georgia recently led to a $75 million medical malpractice verdict. The claim related to emergency treatment the patient received after collapsing with a brainstem stroke, resulting from chiropractic manipulation...

Liability mitigation is essential for senior living facilities
With the impact of COVID-19 on senior living facilities and nursing care services, the industry is under the spotlight. Now more than ever, the industry must look at liability mitigation.

the impact of social inflation on insurance premiums
Social inflation is a buzzword insurers use to explain the rising costs of insurance claims resulting from primarily increasing litigation arising from more plaintiff-friendly legal decisions and larger compensatory jury awards. While many industry experts put it down...
the latest industry news from around the web
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UK-based Ardonagh Group unveils latest numbersby Insurance Business on March 23, 2023 at 2:12 pm
Report covered financial performance and activity highlights
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Not enough – Chubb's oil and gas policies 'fall short,' campaigners sayby Insurance Business on March 23, 2023 at 1:09 pm
Activists want Chubb to refuse cover for all projects
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Lloyd's confirms loss in full-year numbersby Insurance Business on March 23, 2023 at 1:05 pm
Culprit named
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Who are the industry's best brokers?by Insurance Business on March 23, 2023 at 1:00 pm
Entries for IBA's annual Top Brokers showcase closes next week
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Hydrocortisone linked to lower risk for death in severe pneumoniaby Haymarket Media on March 23, 2023 at 7:46 pm
The findings were seen among adults who had been admitted to the ICU for severe community-acquired pneumonia.
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Provider tests AI to help identify potential falls before they happenby Kimberly Bonvissuto on March 23, 2023 at 4:09 am
A six-month pilot program using artificial intelligence recorded 400 resident fall “saves” in one senior living provider’s memory care residents.
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Care navigation can supplement dementia care workforce, fill in care gaps: reportby Kimberly Bonvissuto on March 23, 2023 at 4:08 am
Investing in care navigation — and care navigators — will help individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their caregivers overcome barriers, according to a new report from the Milken Institute.
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Resident-based program ponders aging challenges, develops solutionsby Kimberly Bonvissuto on March 23, 2023 at 4:07 am
A brain health program at an Oklahoma continuing care retirement community has morphed into a solutions-based group looking for ways to help older adults stay independent longer.
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Exploring the complexities of antimicrobial resistance forecastingon March 23, 2023 at 8:26 pm
Researchers highlight the need for prioritizing research on antimicrobial-resistant organism forecasting.
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The policy, and politics, of Medicare Advantageon March 23, 2023 at 7:47 pm
Medicare Advantage, the private-sector alternative to original Medicare, now enrolls nearly half of all Medicare beneficiaries.
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Discovery suggests a new way to treat spinal muscular atrophyon March 23, 2023 at 7:18 pm
Columbia researchers have discovered how a genetic defect leads to spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a critical piece of information about the disease that neurologists have been seeking for decades.
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Personalized recipe of hopamine can empower patients with Parkinson's diseaseon March 23, 2023 at 3:49 pm
When Marina Noordegraaf was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 49, she noticed when it came to treatment decisions, she sometimes felt powerless.
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Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialtieson January 18, 2023 at 1:13 am
By Fred Schulte, Kaiser Health News Two-year-old Zion Gastelum died just days after dentists performed root canals and put crowns on six baby teeth at a clinic affiliated w...
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Key Factors in a Deposition: What Healthcare Professionals Can Expecton January 17, 2023 at 11:58 pm
Richard F. Cahill, JD, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, The Doctors Company A deposition is a discovery tool used in virtually all forms of civil, administrative, and criminal li...
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Medical Societies Unite in Opposition to Pending Medicare Cutson December 19, 2022 at 3:01 pm
CHICAGO - In a letter to congressional leaders, the American Medical Association (AMA) and every state medical society are telling Congress that any cut to Medicare payments wil...
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Hip and Knee Replacements: An Examination of Malpractice Claims Against Orthopedic Surgeons from the Ambulatory and Inpatient Settingson December 19, 2022 at 2:58 pm
By Jacqueline Ross, RN, PhD, Coding Director, Department of Patient Safety and Risk Management Over 1 million total hip and knee replacements are completed annually in the United Stat...
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COVID-19 vaccine not linked with period disruption, study findson March 23, 2023 at 8:47 pm
COVID-19 vaccination does not cause concerning changes to periods, research has found.
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Innovative surgical technique creates a nose for patients with 'extremely rare' genetic syndromeon March 23, 2023 at 8:17 pm
Congenital arhinia (meaning patients born without a nose) is a rare condition associated with high mortality if not identified. As most babies when born are obligate nose breathers, the condition requires immediate attention. The clinical condition is a very rare genetic disorder that, in severe cases, causes congenital absence of the nose with life threatening conditions.
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Autism now more common among Black, Hispanic kids in USon March 23, 2023 at 8:10 pm
For the first time, autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white kids in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
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Too much pruning: A new study sheds light on how neurodegeneration occurs in the brainon March 23, 2023 at 7:46 pm
Just like pruning a tree helps promote proper growth, the brain uses synaptic pruning to get rid of unnecessary connections between its cells. However, when this normal process, which occurs between early childhood and adulthood, doesn't stop properly, the brain loses too many connections, including important ones. Because of this excessive pruning, some brain cells die and others cause inflammation, leading to problems with movement, thinking and learning.