Malpractice Insurance. One thing I don't hear much about.

[brewens]

How bad are insurance companies screwing doctors on their insurance? I'm assuming they have to be big time. I hear about tort reform but I'm willing to be that frivolous lawsuits are only a small part of the problem.
Relief from rising malpractice insurance should be part of the plan.

[tammywammy]

1. I think that's why he proposed tort reform n/t

[soccermomforobama]

2. Sinc Prop 12 (malpractice reform) passed in Texas,

the cost of doctor's malpractice insurance premiums has decreased 49.99% http://www.texmed.org/Template.aspx?id=3868

With that being said, the health insurance premiums for Texas policyholders continues to rise and the state's spending on health care continues to increase.

[CC]

3. Frivolous lawsuits should never and rarely

make it to court. The court itself throws them out if they made it that far. When repukes talk about malpractice reform they are usually talking about capping how much money can be awarded for damages. Now mind you damages are not awarded until after the court has heard evidence and found the plaintiffs at fault. So basically repukes want to cap how much insurance companies would pay you for their clients mistakes even if their client was completely at fault and harmed or killed you.

Now something does need to be done about the squeeze insurance companies are putting on doctors and the insurance companies do need to be regulated and strictly. But so far as I have seen the states that limit damage awards haven't saved more than 2% on doctor's malpractice premiums and their health cost are as high as the other states.

[DefenseLawyer]

5. Many states have a malpractice review panel

Before a malpractice lawsuit can be filed, the claim must be submitted to the panel. This panel of experts will hear arguments, review evidence and expert testimony, and then decide whether malpractice has occurred. The panel decision does not replace an actual medical malpractice lawsuit, and the panel cannot award damages, but it's a hoop the patient must jump through before getting to court. The findings of the review panel can be presented in court, and courts often rely on a review panel's finding of no medical malpractice to throw out a case before it goes to trial.

[tammywammy]

6. Interesting, I did not know that n/t

[CC]

7. I didn't know this though

not surprised. So makes it that much harder should you need to sue. Also another reason all most all the lawyers are going to be pretty sure they have a winnable case before they represent you.

[redqueen]

4. I thought that's what he was getting at here:

I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I have talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs. So I am proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine.