1. You are NOT getting a full version of the facts of this insurance claim. Insurance companies DO NOT pay out on claims prior to litigation unless the case is COMPELLING.
2. The insurance company in this case MIGHT have acted in bad faith, and if it did, this Doctor will get a BIG settlement. Not about the money? Yeah, right.
3. Insurance companies are a BIG part of the problem, but love to point the finger at "frivilous" lawsuits. That mantra gets repeated by others (like in this thread) when the real issue is the insurance company evidently attempting to pass 30% of its bill off on a former insured to avoid payment.
4. Every state has it's own malpractice statutes. Many have medical/dental screening panels to help filter out frivolous claims. In Nevada the insurance companies/Doctors are even more protected. There is a hard and fast 1 year statute of limitations. No medical/dental screening panel. PLUS a requirement that the plaintiff MUST HAVE a medical opinion of malpractice PRIOR to filing a lawsuit. This means an investment of $3,000 to $10,000 BEFORE the case can even be filed. The attorney's fees are severely limited AND the general damages are limited to $350.000. NOBODY else gets this kind of protection.

Summation- All the drivel about frivolous lawsuits being the problem, is highly inaccurate.