Physicians for Medical Liability Reform

[Si modo]

HCLA Releases Report on Status of Medical Liability Reform
Fri Mar 27, 2009 4:23pm EDT

WASHINGTON, March 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Health Coalition on
Liability and Access released a report today on the status of medical
liability reform on the state and federal level. The report detailed the
success of liability reforms in states that have passed laws limiting
non-economic damages, while also acknowledging the challenges that remain.

"While comprehensive federal legislation has yet to be enacted and is unlikely
in the 111th Congress, strong advocacy efforts over the past few years have
paid significant dividends by creating a supportive climate for successful
reform legislation at the state level," the report states.

Texas is just one example of how medical liability reforms reversed the tide
of doctors fleeing the state. Prior to enacting reforms, Texas ranked 48th out
of 50 states in physician manpower. Since reforms were passed in 2003, 76
counties have experienced a net gain in emergency physicians, including 39
medically underserved counties and 30 counties that are partially medically
underserved.

The HCLA supports inclusion of medical liability reforms as a part of any
comprehensive health care reform taken up by Congress this year. Incremental
reforms, such as "early offers," specialized health courts, and the practice
evidence-based medicine are all steps to address the medical liability reform
crisis, and the HCLA will continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these
reforms.

The report notes that, "While these reforms are not comprehensive in nature
and do not address the root cause of our dysfunctional liability system, some
may promise positive results, and they all continue to highlight the critical
need for a real and lasting solution."

The HCLA will continue to make the case for reform that puts effective curbs
on excessive lawsuits, in order to lower health care costs and to ensure
patient access to quality medical care. Visit Health Coalition on Liability and Access to view the full
report.

Reuters

And, DHHS

 

[Si modo]

From Protect Patients Now:

Is Congress Serious About Medical Liability Reform?

Following President Obama’s remarks in support of medical liability reform during his address to Congress on health care reform, many of us were hopeful that Congress would follow his leadership and include this important issue in legislation. Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed when Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus released his proposal the following week, only mentioning medical liability reform in an expression of a “Sense of the Senate” that there should be consideration of state-based demonstration projects on liability reform. The proposal did not even move to codify or formalize these demonstration projects – it merely expressed support for considering them.

During the second day of the Finance Committee’s consideration of the health care bill, three senators introduced amendments to include meaningful medical liability reforms, which were promptly denied by Senator Baucus, who deemed them out of the committee’s jurisdiction.

DMLR Chairman Stuart L. Weinstein, MD released a statement on the Finance Committee’s proposal, calling it "inadequate" in stopping medical lawsuit abuse.
....

 

[DiveCon]

nice find

 

[Si modo]

Maybe this group will be costumed for a WH photo op, too?

 

[chanel]

During the president's address to the joint session of congress he said that he would "look into demonstration projects on the state level" if that's what is wanted.

Such a thing has been underway for 5 years in Mississippi. Tort reform was enacted in 2004, including caps on medical malpractice awards. The result: "the state's leading medical malpractice insurer dropped its premiums by 42% and offered an additional 20% rebate to doctors and hospitals on their malpractice premiums." As a result, liability lawsuits against Mississippi doctors fell almost 90% in the first year. NINETY PERCENT. This has huge beneficial effects on the citizens of that state.

First, their healthcare costs are lower by noticeable amounts, doctors and hospitals are not confined to ordering expensive and sometimes unnecessary tests, and businesses now opt to locate there. Both Fed Ex and Toyota have located billion dollar facilities offering thousands of jobs to Mississippians on the assurance that tort reform will not be overturned. And Texas followed Mississippi's lead with doctor's insurance rates declining there an average of 27% while the number of doctors applying to practice in Texas has skyrocketed by 57%.

Portions of healthcare system work well | StandardNET – Ogden, Layton, Brigham, Weber, Davis, Top of Utah News

 

[Si modo]

During the president's address to the joint session of congress he said that he would "look into demonstration projects on the state level" if that's what is wanted.

Such a thing has been underway for 5 years in Mississippi. Tort reform was enacted in 2004, including caps on medical malpractice awards. The result: "the state's leading medical malpractice insurer dropped its premiums by 42% and offered an additional 20% rebate to doctors and hospitals on their malpractice premiums." As a result, liability lawsuits against Mississippi doctors fell almost 90% in the first year. NINETY PERCENT. This has huge beneficial effects on the citizens of that state.

First, their healthcare costs are lower by noticeable amounts, doctors and hospitals are not confined to ordering expensive and sometimes unnecessary tests, and businesses now opt to locate there. Both Fed Ex and Toyota have located billion dollar facilities offering thousands of jobs to Mississippians on the assurance that tort reform will not be overturned. And Texas followed Mississippi's lead with doctor's insurance rates declining there an average of 27% while the number of doctors applying to practice in Texas has skyrocketed by 57%.

Portions of healthcare system work well | StandardNET – Ogden, Layton, Brigham, Weber, Davis, Top of Utah News

Thanks! Another great example of what can be done to save us money.

Of course, there are some who have no problems paying the government for healthcare and having the government deliver a chunk of that directly to litigation attorneys.