As physicians across the country are paying higher medical liability premiums, Indiana doctors continue to practice in one of the most stable and affordable malpractice landscapes in the country. It’s the result of 50 years of advocacy by the ISMA to pass, protect and fine-tune the state’s Medical Malpractice Act.

Indiana was the first state in the country to enact comprehensive medical malpractice reform in 1975, at a time when soaring claims and unpredictable jury awards threatened access to care. ISMA helped lead that effort at the Statehouse, backing a framework that capped total damages and created the Indiana Patient’s Compensation Fund to ensure injured patients could still be compensated fairly.

Since then, the association has educated lawmakers each session on how the Act works, organized physicians to contact legislators, and coordinated with other medical groups whenever the law has come under attack.  Those efforts show up directly in what doctors pay.

According to ISMA’s most recent membership and advocacy overview, Indiana’s malpractice insurance rates are now 40% to 70% lower than in surrounding states, a gap the association links to the durability of the Medical Malpractice Act and the state’s tort-reform structure.

Data from the Medical Liability Monitor 2025 rate survey tells a similar story. While many states have seen consistent premium hikes in recent years, Indiana’s rates for internal medicine, general surgery and obstetrics/gynecology remain significantly lower than those in Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.