Wednesday, April 20, 2005
House Bill Would Fund Special Health Courts
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"Known as the Medical Liability Procedural Reform Act of 2005, HR 1546 would authorize grants to as many as seven states to establish special health courts to restore reliability to medical justice. The hallmark of the courts would be full-time judges with health care expertise, whose sole focus would be on addressing medical malpractice cases. Each participating state would be required to report on the effectiveness of the health courts, and the U.S. Attorney General would be required to hire a research organization to evaluate them."
Via [Common Good]
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Malpractice Insurance Summary for PA
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The Coalition for Affordable and Reliable Health Care, an advocacy group supporting medical liability reform, has a has an accurate summary of the malpractice insurance situation in Pennsylvania (and other states in the Union).
"A full 80% of medical students who come to Pennsylvania for a world-class education ultimately choose to practice elsewhere, according to the Pennsylvania Medical Society. (PA Medical Society, June 17, 2003)"
[Via PointOfLaw Forum]
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Malpractice Payouts in Pennsylvania Rose in 2004
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Malpractice Payouts in Pennsylvania Rose in 2004:
"In 2004, insurers reported paying out $448 million, a 13.5 percent jump from $394.5 million reported in 2003, according to the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. The 2004 figure broke the previous record, which had been set in 2001.
The increase in 2004 came after two years of decline. One researcher said he thinks payouts are climbing steadily, but that the steep increase in 2004 also was bumped up by delayed reporting of some payments made the previous year."
[Via Point of Law Forum]
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Frist Indicates Willingness To Compromise With Democrats on Malpractice Legislation
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Kaisernetwork.org--Frist Indicates Willingness To Compromise With Democrats on Malpractice Legislation:
" Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on Thursday said he would again push for medical malpractice legislation this session and indicated that he would consider compromises with Democrats to examine the "elements of insurance reform" in addition to establishing caps on noneconomic damages awards, CongressDaily reports. Republicans have been unsuccessful in passing legislation that would impose a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages because of Democratic filibusters. Democrats maintain that rising medical malpractice insurance premiums stem from problems within the insurance industry. Frist suggested that he might be willing to reconsider the $250,000 limit but added, "There absolutely should be a cap." According to Frist, medical malpractice reform will be considered in the Senate after bankruptcy and other tort reform legislation, including changes to the asbestos litigation system, are addressed (Heil, CongressDaily, 3/10). "
Thursday, February 10, 2005
"What the Doctor Saw"
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Published in the Fulton County (Georgia) Daily Report: What the Doctor Saw:--The court system through the eyes of a surgeon sued for malpractice (PDF--432k)
" Outstandingly reported account of a surgeon's professional liability trial from the standpoint of the defendant and his family as well as the lawyers on both sides. "
[Via Overlawyered]
Monday, February 7, 2005
Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report Highlights News of State Medical Malpractice Developments
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Summarizes recent developments in tort reform in Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, North and South Carolina, and Wyoming.
[Via UK Medical News Today]
Thursday, February 3, 2005
PA State Medical Society Frivolous Lawsuit Project
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In 2004, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society began a project to support physicians who chose to countersue lawyers who brought frivolous malpractice lawsuits under the Frivolous Lawsuit Project. A recent newsletter gave the following update:
" In May of 2004, the Society settled its first frivolous case, resulting in an apology from the offending attorney and an agreement to make an undisclosed monetary payment.
The countersuit was brought by Charles Dunton, MD—a gynecological oncologist from Delaware County—against Diane Rice, Esq., of Bucks County.
Ms. Rice had filed a medical malpractice action on behalf of her client in which she accused Dr. Dunton of providing inadequate care. That action was eventually resolved in Dr. Dunton’s favor when Ms. Rice was unable to produce an expert to support her allegations.
In her apology, Ms. Rice admitted she did not obtain an opinion from a qualified medical expert prior to filing the suit... "
Wednesday, February 2, 2005
Tort System Costs
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I'm posting these data mainly so I'll be able to find them again at a later date, but others might find the numbers useful as well.
" The tort system now costs every man, woman, and child in America an average of $845 a year, almost 10 times the inflation-adjusted $91 per capita it cost in 1950. The $246 billion-a-year total comes to 2.2 percent of America's gross domestic product -- more than triple the 0.6 percent in the United Kingdom and more than double the 0.8 percent in Japan, France, and Canada. And as of 2002, only 22 percent of all tort costs went to compensate alleged victims' out-of-pocket losses; 24 percent went to pay for non-economic losses such as pain and suffering; 19 percent went to plaintiffs' lawyers; 14 percent went to defense costs; and 21 percent went to insurance overhead. "
I found this section in Better Justice: Bush's Missed Opportunity, which is quoting U.S. Tort Costs:2004 Update Trends and Findings on the Cost of the U.S. Tort System.
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Are Lawsuits Affecting Mammography Access in Florida?
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Common Good points to the following article: Report: Lawsuits Limit Cancer Tests
" "In Florida, a governor-appointed task force reports that lawsuits are "discouraging radiologists from offering mammograms." Radiologists have good reason to be afraid. As many as 17 percent of tumors are "missed during at least one exam." And in 2002, a study of 25 insurance companies conducted by the Physicians Insurers Association of America found that "radiologists accounted for 33 percent of all claims and the most common allegation against radiologists was 'mammogram misread.'" Six seats are available in breast-imaging fellowship programs across the state of Florida, but none are filled. In fact, "a recent survey of 211 radiology residents showed that 63 percent of students wouldn't accept a fellowship in breast imaging." "Why would they jeopardize their lives and their careers if it's not absolutely necessary?" said Dr. Ada Patricia Romilly, a member of the Florida task force." "
I found the home page for the Workgroup on Mammogram Accessibility [thanks to Google] but see no final results. Those that are there indicate available data is inconclusive or invalid. So where does that leave us, exactly?
Friday, December 24, 2004
Online Posting of Med-Mal Payouts Is Seen as Chilling Settlements
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Online Posting of Med-Mal Payouts Is Seen as Chilling Settlements:
" "Nearly five months after a [New Jersey] state government Web site began posting doctors' malpractice histories, the publicity may be having a chilling effect on settlements.
Lawyers on both sides of the aisle say that some doctors, faced with the reality that even a confidential settlement will end up on the Internet, are opting to take their chances in court.
They are exercising the right available under most medical malpractice policies to withhold their consent to settle, even when it goes against the wishes of their carriers and advice of counsel.
'Doctors do not want to settle at all now that it has to be reported to the databank for any payment whatsoever,' says defense lawyer Richard Amdur." "
[Via Point of Law]
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