Connecticut hospitals have seen a slow, but steady decline in medical malpractice insurance expenses in recent years, a positive sign for an industry that was battered by skyrocketing costs a decade ago. The state's 29 acute care hospitals spent $119.9 million on medical malpractice insurance in fiscal year 2012, down 5.6 percent from a year earlier and 16.1 percent since fiscal 2009, according to data from the state Office of Health Care Access. The decline, healthcare executives say, has been driven in part by hospitals' efforts to improve patient outcomes and prevent costly medical mistakes.
