According to a study published in the American Journal of Orthopedics in 2012, self-reported defensive medical practices cost $8,485 per month and $101,820 per year.
Around 96 percent of orthopedic surgeons surveyed reported practicing defensive medicine, which adds up to spending more than $2 billion per year spent in defensive medicine nationally. Defensive medicine accounted for 24 percent of all imaging, laboratory tests, consultations and hospitals admissions, according to the report.
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