On Treating Tigers

Tiger Woods won the 2008 US Open golf championship despite playing with a torn ACL and two stress fractures of his left tibia. He earned $1.35 million in prize money for that heroic effort, which will also probably increase his already stratospheric endorsement income next year (in 2007, he pocketed an estimated $100 million in endorsement deals alone). Now he's about to undergo surgery to repair his injuries.

When a 32 year old soon-to-be billionaire superstar seeks medical treatment, I doubt he has to get a referral from his PCP or approval from an HMO pencil-pusher. But as the John Ritter case revealed, when a rich celebrity suffers a disastrous medical outcome, the potential liability far exceeds any insurance coverage or assets of the treating physicians.

Sure, the Orthopedist will get to prominently display a signed picture in his office waiting room of Tiger shaking his hand, and he will likely benefit from the prestige of having such a high-profile patient. And I'm sure Tiger will pay his bill in full. But what is a reasonable fee for taking on the enormous liability risk of treating such a patient? (UPDATE - here is his Orthopedist)

And how would you like to be the ER doc who evaluates Tiger a week or two post-operatively when he is just passing through your part of the world on his Gulfstream V? And his leg is a little sore.

I'd frame the AMA form with his signature on it for my office wall.