W. Va. surgeons walk off job to protest insurance costs

The Boston Globe ^ | 1-2-02 | By Vicki Smith,

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WEIRTON, W. Va. - Surgeons at four hospitals began a strike yesterday to protest malpractice insurance costs, and most operations in northern West Virginia were canceled or were being moved. In Pennsylvania, a similar walkout was averted.

At least 24 surgeons in the coming week will begin 30-day leaves of absence at Wheeling Hospital, Ohio Valley Medical Center, Weirton Medical Center, and Reynolds Memorial Hospital, according to numbers provided by the hospitals.

[The Raven]

See the WSJ editorial on this

[Dark Seraph]

Sounds to me like they're breaking their Hippocratic Oath by not helping those that need their help.

Were I an employer, I'd tell them to not bother coming back. Real doctors don't put money above healing.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Bull. This is the only way the docs can beat the lawyers. I commend them and recommend a nationwide strike similar to it. Prescription-waving citizens would storm the state legislatures demanding tort reform before their mood-elevating pills ran out. Bravo to the docs! It's about time somebody threw the lawyers under the bus.

[DB]

Really?

So "real" doctors are slaves...

[Dark Seraph]

Nope. Real doctors do what they can to help those that require medical assistance.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

...Governor-elect Ed Rendell [D-PA] promised to fight for $220 million in aid for doctors this year...

Perhaps Willie Nelson needs to start holding benefit concerts for surgeons. /sarcasm

Actually, I find it interesting that the article notes soaring malpractice insurance rates but fails to mention "tort reform" or who benefits from rising insurance costs - lawyers.

[RJCogburn]

Were I an employer, I'd tell them to not bother coming back.

Were I an employee, I'd not work for you.

[mewzilla]

Here are just a few of the things this article doesn't tell us: how many lawsuits in WV? Against how many docs? How many are against the same docs? How many suits are won by the plaintiffs? What's the average award? Rendell's barking up the wrong tree. And it sounds as though he wants taxpayers to bail out the insurance companies and allow lawyers to keep raking in the dough. You haven't fixed the problem, Rendell, just postponed the showdown. And the people you just screwed with your modest proposal won't soon forget it the next time this comes up.

[The Duke]

Go Docs Go!!!

[Right_in_Virginia]

"Real doctors don't put money above healing."

Or...we should not allow attorneys to get rich off the efforts and contributions of real doctors.

[Tijeras_Slim]

...Governor-elect Ed Rendell [D-PA] promised to fight for $220 million in aid for doctors this year...

If they believe this corrupt fool, they might not be smart enough to be doctors.

[snopercod]

Real doctors don't put money above healing.

You, of course, would gladly work for nothing in your own line of business.

HEALTH CARE IS NOT A RIGHT

[Glenn]

Governor-elect Ed Rendell promised to fight for $220 million in aid for doctors this year.

Dumb, dumb, dumb. We are going to subsidize malpractice insurance now? Let the state pay the attorneys indirectly? What a can of worms.

I've got 2 major surgeries coming up this next couple of months. Hope there is a doctor left to do them by the time the politicians are finished. I can't imagine what they are going to cost me.

[Toskrin]

Many doctors in West Virginia are choosing a less controversial way of dealing with the litigation problem - a way which avoids the criticism of physician strikes. They are moving away. And no one is replacing them. So, instead of the community going without surgeons for thirty days, the community goes without surgeons for good.

[meyer]

Sounds to me like they're breaking their Hippocratic Oath by not helping those that need their help.

Were I an employer, I'd tell them to not bother coming back. Real doctors don't put money above healing.

It seems to me that our tort system has backed the doctors into a corner with no exit. Under these circumstances, I cannot find fault with their wanting to fight back. What other tools do they have? Nobody can force them to operate - nobody!

[snopercod]

I just did a google search and was surprised to find that doctors are also striking in France, India, Ireland, and Italy over one thing or another. Maybe they're finally getting tired of treated as slaves.

[bmwcyle]

West Virginia is a feeding ground for the trail lawyers and DEMS. It is time for WV to raise up and throw the crooks out.

[crz]

What, are you a lawyer? Do you need then to continue so you can clean out their pockets?
I wish every doctor nation wide would do this as it is time they expose the slime scum sucking lawyers and the real reason medical costs are so high to Americans.

[Savage Beast]

One lawsuit could drive a physician into bankruptcy. Could you subject your family and yourself to this kind of risk?