Posted on 09/03/2009 7:41:24 AM PDT by AtlasStalled
Civil justice reform, which is sometimes referred to as “tort reform,” is not addressed in any health reform bill now being considered by Congress. As a matter of fact, civil justice reform is rarely being discussed even though it should be a critical component of every discussion and in every legitimate health reform bill. * * * Howard Dean, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, at a town hall meeting in Virginia last week said, “Tort reform is not in the bill because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers. And, that is the plain and simple truth.” Unfortunately, the “plain and simple truth” is that Democratic leaders in Congress and President Obama are selling out the doctors to pay off the trial lawyers.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
It’s simple Economics-101 for Democrats.
The Law profession donates exponentially more money to Democrats then the Medical profession.
Guess who gets the protection of Democrats?
Hell, Obama won’t even meet with doctor groups concerned about healthcare which is crazy because it’s doctors who are providing the care not faceless Washington bureaucrats.
Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/08/prweb2790594.htm
Even, the statist MSM refuses to even air TV commercials sponsored by doctors.
Source: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/08/28/abc-and-nbc-refuse-to-run-ad-critical-of-obama-health-care/
Lawyering doubles or triples the cost of medicine in America. The second and third things you would try to do to better the situation are way back in second and third place. The ONLY pol who has said the first word about this is Sarah Palin.
That lizard Steny Hoyer actually had the nerve to tell doctors here in Calvert County, who demanded malpractice relief, that there “might be discussions” in the future about tort reform.
Bullshtt. Any Democrat who says he wants to reduce costs without addressing the cause of health care inflation is blowing smoke up your ass.
Starting with the House “Majority” Leader.
"We're afraid of the trial lawyers..." we want their money.
Tort Reform or
STFU!
I have nothing against anyone, in any profession / occupation, and want everyone to do well and have the opportunity to benefit from their efforts. That said, I have to say that I very much resent having attorneys protected at my expense. As a physician I charge nothing for filling out forms, calling patients to discuss their health concerns, calling in prescriptions to pharmacies, researching the literature for potential options for patients who have unique problems, etc..
On the other hand, if an attorney emails you, or talks to you on the phone for a few minutes, or if his administrator talks to you on the phone, it is billable, and you are charged for it. I don’t get paid extra when I’m up all night on call. I don’t get to charge anyone for the time I spend studying to keep current. Despite this, our wonderful government seeks to punish me, and protect the attorneys. I most definitely will not be encouraging my child to become a physician.
You are so right about lawyers billing for every single call, letter or minute you spend in their office. When they sue physicians, hospitals, medical device companies, whatever, they get paid whether they win or not in many cases and on an hourly basis. Physicians, unfortunately, get reimbursed by other payors for global services, taking a lump sum for the care they have provided. In many cases, this fee never covers all the time they spend on their patients. Their is a definite inequity in pay schedules in relationship to years of education. It takes a physician eight years to become a specialist and only three years for a lawyer to take the bar exam. But with the entirety of Congress being lawyers, I don’t think physicians stand a chance of balancing this inequity. Obamacare wants to limit the amount of admissions to medical school for specialists, but no one ever puts a limit of law school admissions.
It seems to me if gov’t health care is passed....even without tort reform the “Geese that lay the golden eggs” (hospitals, physicians, drug companies, health insurance companies) will evaporate as to $ resources for big jury pay outs.
Especially when treatment, meds, and lack of it, etc., will be totally directed by the government.
No more golden eggs to support the tort attorneys. If the tort men are smart, they will campaign against the health reform bill.
I agree. I didn't encourage mine either. My daughter is a pharmacist and son is a computer programmer, and both are happy.
I am fortunate in that I am going to retire soon.
Of course there are no tort reform provisions in any of the currenly proposed bills. You’re talking about the 2nd largest donor group to the DNC, even Durbin was an ambulance chaser in his pre-elective office party hack days.
Yeah but...if the health bill is passed....the 2nd largest donors to the DNC will find that they will have to sue the government for untoward health outcomes.
They ought to realize how far they will get with that.
bump
Let’s see who do I need more a Doctor or a Lawyer?\s
Guy walks into a lawyers office, asks “How much to answer a couple of questions?”
Lawyer answers, “$600 a question. What’s your second question?”
I am a physician, and I can tell you that it may be too late.
In the past, these tests were added to CYA. Now, the next generation of physicians is being taught in TRAINING to get these unnecessary tests and procedures so that it has become the standard of care even though medically unnecessary. Once it becomes the standard of care, it’s a test that MUST be performed or you are open to liability. 95% of the imaging studies ordered by the ER are medically unnecessary, but they order them anyway. It’s frightening times.
I think one of the aims of Gov’t health care will be to deprive the patient or withhold approval for any tests not specific to ‘certain presenting symptoms’. Thus cut costs.
I believe the standard of care will be greatly revised. (when it is gov’t mandated, who will the tort fellows sue?)
Have you seen the proposed ‘fee’ standard for doc’s? They will be paid the same regardless of speciality.
Doc’s should look at pages 127, 239, 241, 253, 298, 317
It appears the AMA sold you guys/gals out.
It makes me sick.
They won’t be capped and the government will pay off. It’s not their money, and those contributions have to come from somewhere.
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