[FormerACLUmember]

In the USA, we can thank John Edwards and his pals in the Trial Lawyers Association as well as the Democrats who endlessly block meaningful tort reform. This creates an environment where costs are needlessly high and healthcare practitioners are terrified of doing any procedure that is outside of their specific training and primary job description.

Yes and it is also the reason nobody who is not a licensed dentist would touch this boy's tooth in the USA.

I would also add that the trial lawyers also annihilate non-physician providers. The midwife industry is (for example) now extinct in NY City for this reason.

[Stoat]

"I would also add that the trial lawyers also annihilate non-physician providers. The midwife industry is (for example) now extinct in NY City for this reason."

I'm very sorry to hear this, as midwives provide very important services.  I suppose this will continue as long as people remain silent and until enough people die due to overregulation and excessive litigation.  Unfortunately, most political movers and shakers avail themselves of the most deluxe medical services on the planet and so are largely insulated from the realities that most other folks face.  If a few Senators' wives had to wait six hours in an ER waiting room you can rest assured that these problems would be fixed overnight.