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Archives
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Editorial: Tort reform saved health care Charleston Daily Mail, WV - Jan. 31, 2007 ...The success of tort reform in the emergency room should be duplicated elsewhere. The Legislature should make things easier for other professions and businesses without cutting off the rights of injured parties... N.J. emergency rooms are 'maxed out' The Record, Hackensack, NJ - Jan. 31, 2007 ...Other hospital beds cannot be used because of the nursing shortage and because of emergency specialists such as neurosurgeons who limit their practice because of skyrocketing malpractice premiums... Legislation briefs Salt Lake Tribune, UT - Jan. 31, 2007 ...A bill in the Senate and one in the House seek to provide immunity from medical malpractice lawsuits to emergency health care providers. Similar proposed legislation didn't pass last year... Focus is better jobs, not more The Maui News, HI - Jan. 30, 2007 ...Among her other wishes: Changing medical malpractice law to cap noneconomic damages to victims and fees to plaintiff’s lawyers... Medical malpractice news
Tort reform linked to rise in doctors at CAMC Charleston Daily Mail, WV - Jan. 30, 2007 ...Charleston Area Medical Center is attributing its rise in new doctors to statewide medical malpractice reforms passed in 2003... Hearings today on medical malpractice The News-Press, Fort Myers, FL - Jan. 30, 2007 ...Medical malpractice companies benefitting from courtroom caps must tell state regulators today why they are not returning more of that money to doctors and the public... Bill protects a doctor's apology The Bismarck Tribune, ND - Jan. 30, 2007 ...The North Dakota House voted 74-17 on Monday to approve legislation that says a health care provider's "expressions of empathy" may not be used against him or her in a malpractice lawsuit, arbitration proceeding or license hearing. The bill now moves to the state Senate... Senate OKs bill making ER malpractice suits harder Tucson Citizen, AZ (Associated Press) - Jan. 30, 2007 ...Napolitano vetoed an identical bill last year. Republican Sen. Carolyn Allen of Scottsdale reintroduced the measure this year, a month after a Napolitano-appointed task force recommended adoption of the change... Opinion - John F. Buck: 'Do-nothing' Congress actually did itself proud Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ - Jan. 30, 2007 ...Additionally, the class-action bill will make it easier to pass medical-malpractice and product-liability reform, and stop abusive lawsuits... Opinion - State Sen. Tom Harman: State's broken healthcare system needs to be fixed Daily Pilot, Newport Beach, CA - Jan. 30, 2007 ...So what is the key to solving California's healthcare crisis? One common-sense change would be to revise our legal system to reduce medical malpractice costs... Editorial: Licensing logjam: End needless delays keeping new physicians from giving Texans the health care they need Houston Chronicle, TX - Jan. 30, 2007 ...Texans voted in 2003 for Proposition 12, which imposed a limit on doctors' medical liability, after proponents promised the measure would alleviate the "crisis" in medical malpractice insurance... Opinion - Joe Nixon: The problem with not honoring our invitation to docs Houston Chronicle, TX - Jan. 30, 2007 ...After working so hard to protect doctors from frivolous lawsuits and to encourage doctors to practice medicine in Texas and stay in practice, it is more than troublesome if Texas does not process physician applications promptly... Liability mistakes Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA - Jan. 30, 2007 ...In an attempt to reduce the cost of fabulously expensive malpractice insurance, many professionals -- physicians especially -- buy their malpractice insurance from small, sometimes unstable, and maybe even unidentifiable malpractice insurance "carriers"... Medical malpractice news
ProMutual plans no rate increase in 2007 for Mass. physicians Insurance Journal, CA - Jan. 29, 2007 ...A number of specialties such as obstetrics, orthopedics and anesthesiology should see reduced rates up to 10 percent... Special interests eye high court race Wisconsin State Journal, WI - Jan. 29, 2007 ...The business lobby has been galvanized by state Supreme Court decisions in 2005 that included overturning caps on non-economic claims in medical malpractice lawsuits... Hospitals say there are no quick fixes to long lines in emergency rooms Star-Banner, Ocala, FL - Jan. 28, 2007 ...The threat of frivolous malpractice lawsuits also may have discouraged many physicians from getting involved with the high-risk environment of emergency rooms, experts say... Hawai'i losing doctors The Honolulu Advertiser, HI - Jan. 28, 2007 ...Complaints about health insurance reimbursements that aren't keeping pace with rising costs and about skyrocketing malpractice premiums are heard across the country, but doctors here say conditions in Hawai'i are particularly hostile to the business of medicine, and many are deciding it's just not worth it anymore... Editorial: Putting their money where the power is Star-News, Wilmington, NC - Jan. 27, 2007 ...Among other things, the docs and hospital administrators might want more protection from malpractice suits... 'Get your doctors off my birthing' Intelligencer-Journal, Lancaster, PA - Jan. 27, 2007 ...Rita Rhoads Martinez Reed, a licensed midwife from Quarryville, said Wednesday licensed midwives typically charge several hundred dollars more for their services than do lay midwives, in part because they are required to carry malpractice insurance, which costs about $25,000 a year... Medical malpractice news
Doyle proposes $30M plan to convert to electronic medical records Winona Daily News, WI (Associated Press) - Jan. 26, 2007 ...Part of the funding for his plan would come from the state’s patient compensation fund, which covers large judgments in medical malpractice suits. Doyle said it was an appropriate use of the money because it would reduce medical errors... Freeze due on malpractice cost The Republican, Springfield, MA - Jan. 26, 2007 ...Medical Professional Mutual Insurance Co., the state's largest insurer of physicians, surgeons, dentists and nurse midwives, will not increase malpractice insurance rates this year... Doctor liability Arizona Star, Tucson, AZ - Jan. 26, 2007 ...Medical-malpractice lawsuits now require a plaintiff to show by a preponderance of the evidence that the care received did not meet professional standards. That is usually defined as usually meaning the doctor erred. SB 1032 would instead require proof by clear and convincing evidence, which is harder to prove... Mammogram rate drops slightly in United States Reuters - Jan. 25, 2007 ..."One study has indicated that breast-imaging facilities face challenges such as shortages of key personnel, malpractice concerns, and financial constraints," they wrote... Opinion - Jim Panyard: Dissecting Rendell's 'Eddycare' The Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia, PA - Jan. 25, 2007 ...He also doesn't mention the high costs of medical malpractice insurance in the commonwealth, probably because the taxpayers pick up $220 million of the physician insurance premiums already, thanks to Rendell-fostered legislation passed three years ago... Medical malpractice news
Editorial: Speech offers ray of light The Spectrum, St. George, UT - Jan. 25, 2007 ...Some lawmakers want to cap monetary judgments in medical malpractice cases while others say the courts shouldn't have such restrictions... Putting a price on malpractice The Orange County Register, CA - Jan. 25, 2007 In Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Bush said he wants "to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits" through changes in the medical malpractice system... Elusive cure Worcester Telegram & Gazette News, MA - Jan. 25, 2007 ...The tort reform he mentioned on Tuesday likely would reduce the burden of malpractice lawsuits and defensive medicine, but such reform -- anathema to trial lawyers -- is a nonstarter in the Democratic Congress.... Editorial: Insurance plan bad for what ails us The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA - Jan. 25, 2007 ...(These same folks though costs were rising in the past because of medical malpractice lawsuits, even though the available evidence said malpractice awards accounted for only a tiny fraction of medical inflation.)... Opinion - Susan Bridges: The union is in such a state The Roanoke Times, VA - Jan. 25, 2007 ...Instead of protecting incompetent doctors, why doesn't Bush push for caps on the amounts personal injury attorneys can take for themselves? Because the majority of congressmen are attorneys, that's why... Malpractice rate hearings planned TCPalm.com, Fort Pierce, FL - Jan. 25, 2007 ...The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has scheduled public hearings to review medical malpractice rates at the request of the Florida's Insurance Consumer Advocate Steve Burgess for Jan. 30... Doctors find a long wait to see patients in Texas Houston Chronicle, TX - Jan. 25, 2007 ...Physician recruiters have had an easier time since Prop 12 passed because Texas physicians have since seen their malpractice insurance premiums drop sharply, he said... 3 hospitals defied patient-dumping rule, state says Palm Beach Post, FL - Jan. 25, 2007 ...Zeltzer said he understands why the gastroenterologists want to lower their malpractice risk and try to avoid getting stuck with an uninsured patient, but their actions hurt patient care.... Opinion - John Bellatti, MD: Hawaii's all out crisis in medical care - doctor shortage only worsening Hawaii Reporter, Honolulu, HI - Jan. 24, 2007 ...A third absolute requirement to attract physicians is to enact medical tort reform -- a dollar limit on medical malpractice claims for non-economic damages. This would end the medical malpractice lottery ... Survey: Commercial prices continue declining in non-catastrophe areas Insurance Journal, CA - Jan. 24, 2007 ...Even medical malpractice premiums were starting to stabilize, according to the survey respondents, and some carriers are not always requesting loss runs in order to quote new business.... Medical malpractice news
Lawmakers pleased, but skeptical The Citizens Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA - Jan. 24, 2007 ...Kanjorski praised Bush's idea for a special advisory council made up of leaders of both parties, but criticized the president for continuing to raise "hot-button issues" with little chance of passage in a Democrat-controlled Congress - medical malpractice damages caps, school vouchers and health savings accounts... Opinion - Mark Shuter: Local reaction to the State of the Union: Health care Chillicothe Gazette, OH - Jan. 24, 2006 ...Ohio is in one of the top 12 states for malpractice premiums. It makes it unappealing for physicians in Ohio to practice... Editorial: To North Carolina's health News & Observer, Raleigh, NC - Jan. 24, 2007 ...Legislators should be cautious with a recommendation to help pay doctors' malpractice insurance. High premiums in some specialties, such as obstetrics, do deter some doctors from providing those services... Opinion - Jack Markowitz: Rendell plan will make the poor pay Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - Jan. 24, 2007 ...Safer streets, better schools and job readiness, and encouragement to thrift -- all these would improve the lives and prospects of the poor. As would medical malpractice reform that would cut everybody's costs but is not among the governor's 47 pieces of proposed legislation... Opinion - Pat Toomey: Digging an economic hole, the Ed Rendell way Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - Jan. 24, 2007 ...the Legislature and governor should tackle the real culprits in rapidly rising health-care costs: excessive state regulations (especially mandated coverage items); abusive medical malpractice lawsuits; and a government-driven lack of consumer choices... President Bush's State of the Union Address New York Times, NY - Jan. 23, 2007 ...We will encourage price transparency and to protect good doctors from junk lawsuits, we need to pass medical liability reform. In all we do, we must remember that the best health care decisions are not made by government and insurance companies, but by patients and their doctors... Medical malpractice news
Ex-official joins doctors' legal fight The Herald News, Joliet, IL - Jan. 23, 2007 ...The Illinois State Medical Society and the affiliated ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company announced Monday that Olson will lead their defense of the state cap on non-economic damages in medical malpractice litigation... Medical ads aim straight for the heart Chicago Tribune, IL - Jan. 23, 2007 ...Some say it could spur unnecessary and expensive surgeries if worried heart patients demand doctors implant such a device. Physicians fearful of malpractice suits may find it hard to deny patients what they ask for... The evolution of LASIK opens doors for patients with vision problems The Ledger, Lakeland, FL - Jan. 23, 2007 ...Surgeons have become more cautious, chastened by a spate of multimillion-dollar malpractice verdicts awarded to patients who suffered serious vision loss. The biggest so far: $7.25 million awarded by a jury last year to a former Manhattan investment banker... Vermont captive insurance industry continues to expand Insurance Journal, CA - Jan. 23, 2007 ..."Vermont now has nearly 100 programs writing over $1.4 billion in premiums in medical malpractice coverage," said Dan Towle, director of Financial Services. "I think it's fair to say that we'll continue to see strong activity in 2007."... Legislators pass plan promising 10% to 55% cuts in property insurance rates South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Jan. 23, 2007 ...Deficits at Citizens would be repaid through extra charges on everyone's property and automobile policies, with life and health and medical malpractice and worker compensation policies exempted. If those assessments don't cover the red ink, state taxpayers would have to pick up the tab... Hawaii governor seeks $346 mln in tax cuts Reuters.com - Jan. 22, 2007 ...Lingle proposed $150 million for programs to support more rental housing and renovations for existing homes and called for an overhaul of the state's medical malpractice rules among on other initiatives she said would lower health-care costs... Medical malpractice news
Legislative deal would cut windstorm rates by 7.35% for Florida property owners South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Jan. 22, 2007 ...Under current law, only property policies are assessed a surcharge to help Citizens overcome a deficit. Only worker's compensation and medical malpractice policies will be exempt under the new plan... Quick trip to pretty St. Petersburg Times, FL - Jan. 22, 2007 ...More types of doctors are entering the beauty field, heretofore dominated by plastic surgeons and dermatologists, as a way to offset declining health insurance payments and soaring malpractice insurance fees... Okla. high court kills certificate-of-merit PointofLaw.com, NY - Jan. 22, 2007 ...one of the weaker (though still useful) procedural reforms in medical malpractice litigation is a requirement that a plaintiff's lawyer obtain a "certificate of merit" from an appropriate medical expert before proceeding with a suit... Politics: Other health-related proposals Nevada Appeal, Carson City, NV - Jan. 22, 2007 ...Sen. Joe Heck, R-Henderson, is sponsoring a bill that would shield doctors from having their apologies to patients used in later litigation against them. "I'm sorry laws" passed in other states have been shown to decrease the number of medical malpractice cases that go to trial, Heck said... Chamber agenda focuses on pro-growth issues Sioux City Journal, IA - Jan. 21, 2007 ...Lawmakers should allow small businesses to poor their employees under on entity to negotiate lower rates or to self insure; create a prescription drug purchasing pool for small businesses and governmental entities; cap pain and suffering damages in medical malpractice lawsuits; and identify a plan for the small business uninsured... Opinion - Pat Toomey: Rendell has put Pa. into an economic hole Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Jan. 21, 2007 ...Instead, the legislature and governor should tackle the real culprits in rapidly rising health-care costs: excessive state regulations (especially mandated coverage items); abusive medical malpractice lawsuits; and a government-driven lack of consumer choices... ER help needed. Stat! US News & World Report - Jan. 21, 2007 ...So where have all the specialists gone? They've been driven away, observers say, by three modern maladies of American healthcare: too much work, too little pay, and the fear of malpractice lawsuits... Medicare cuts stopped - for now Midland Reporter-Telegram, TX - Jan. 21, 2007 ...Meyers said these proposed laws probably don't stand a chance of passing in a Democratic Congress. He noted they did not pass in a Republican body. "In 110th Congress, given that the trial lawyers have such deep influence with Democrats, I doubt tort reform will be very high on their agenda," Conaway said... Vt. doctors having a tough time Rutland Herald, VT - Jan. 21, 2007 ...The Medical Society is calling on the state to increase recruitment by providing loan assistance to medical students; increase Medicaid reimbursement rates to doctors; create a pre-trial screening panel to review malpractice claims; and other suggestions... Destination Scottsdale for nip-and-tuck crowd East Valley Tribune, Mesa, AZ - Jan. 21, 2007 ...Because of the lure of the cosmetic surgery dollar, doctors in other specialities have begun to perform cosmetic procedures...Still, patient complaints and malpractice suits aren’t any more common in the plastic surgery than in other medical specialities, said Rodger Downey, spokesman for the Arizona Medical Board... Unpaid doctor bills go public The Sun Herald, Biloxi, MI - Jan. 20, 2007 ...The exception says, "there is no privilege when a controversy develops between physician and patient, such as in a dispute over medical fees or medical malpractice."... Doctors lining up support for liability reform legislation Nashville Business Journal, TN - Jan. 19, 2007 ...The organization has started an online and mail-in petition targeting supporters of medical liability reform. It plans to gather several thousand signatures and give copies to lawmakers in the spring as incentive to debate the issue... Medical malpractice news
Prison fixes costly before they begin Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA (Associated Press) - Jan. 19, 2007 ... Sillen took over the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's $1.5 billion medical system after U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson found evidence of neglect and malpractice leading to an "unconscionable degree of suffering and death."... Addressing health care's 'perfect storm' Ludington Daily News, MI - Jan. 18, 2007 ...malpractice costs, rising to the point of keeping some doctors from being able to practice in the fields most likely to be sued, including obstetrics... Measure offers protection from emergency-room lawsuits The Verde Independent, AZ - Jan. 18, 2007 ...The Senate Health Committee on Thursday approved legislation to make it more difficult for someone injured due to a medical mistake in an emergency room to successfully sue for damages. SB 1032 now goes to the full Senate... Medical malpractice news
House passes insurance fix Charlotte Sun-Herald, Charlotte Harbor, FL - Jan. 18, 2007 ...Currently, the state can place a surcharge on the premiums of all property insurance policies to replenish the Cat fund. Under the proposed legislation, the surcharges could be added to auto, commercial and even medical malpractice insurance policies... Universal health care gains traction Baker City Herald, OR - Jan. 17, 2007 ...In addition, he believes costs will need to be lowered by enacting some kind of caps on liability for doctors, which will cut malpractice premiums.... Medical malpractice news
Sen. Ensign introduces federal malpractice award cap legislation Insurance Journal, CA - Jan. 17, 2007 ...The MCAP Act calls for setting a cap on non-economic damages and providing for unlimited economic damages.... Report questions U.S. 'malpractice crisis' United Press International - Jan. 17, 2007 ...Business and medical lobbying interests are misleading the public when they claim a malpractice crisis in their lobbying to limit how much money injured patients may seek in the courts, the report says... Malpractice insurer lifting moratorium St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO (Associated Press) - Jan. 17, 2007 ...ISMIE Mutual Insurance Co., which provides malpractice coverage for 13,000 doctors, announced Monday that it plans to add up to 400 new physician policy holders beginning April 1... Editorial: New attitudes lead to reform Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Jan. 17, 2007 ...It's too soon to declare the medical malpractice crisis over, but clearly Illinois is headed in the right direction... Opinion - Scott Ross, M.D.: For doctors, patients, malpractice trials should change Naples Daily News, FL - Jan. 17, 20007 ...In the case of a malpractice case, it almost seems as if we're guilty and then must prove ourselves innocent. And no matter what the outcome, even if lack of guilt is determined, a high price will be paid by the defending physician. I suggest changing the system... Medical malpractice news
Medical malpractice insurer lifts moratorium on new business WQAD-TV, Moline IL (Associated Press) - Jan. 16, 2007 ...The company currently provides malpractice coverage for 13-thousand doctors. ISMIE says reforms passed by the General Assembly have helped lower the number of claims filed... Malpractice insurer will pay dividents, add clients The State-Journal Register, Springfield, IL - Jan. 16, 2007 ...The state's largest medical malpractice insurer announced Monday that it will issue dividends for the first time ever and will accept new physician policyholders for the first time in four years, partly because of recent legal reforms... Doctors' insurer to ease freeze Chicago Tribune, IL - Jan. 16, 2007 ..."We see very positive signs that things are improving here, that litigation reforms are really beginning to work," said Dr. Harold Jensen, chairman of ISMIE, which is a Chicago-based affiliate of the state's physician lobby, the Illinois State Medical Society... Outlook improves for medical insurer The Herald News, Chicago, IL - Jan. 16, 2007 ...ISMIE attributed the improved business climate to changes in state law that included a cap on the punitive damages that could be awarded to a patient in a medical malpractice lawsuit. Those caps, however, are expected to be challenged eventually in court... Plan for med board Web site bogs down The News & Observer, Raleigh, NC - Jan. 16, 2007 ...Some states, such as Virginia, go further. Virginia's board lists whether doctors have paid malpractice claims and lists all states where physicians have been licensed... Medical malpractice news
Merger protects OB/GYN care The Daily Times, Salisbury, MD - Jan. 15, 2007 ..."Before we pay our staff, before we pay for health insurance, before we pay for new equipment, (a medical malpractice insurance premium) has to be taken care of," Eisemann said. "And since we get paid less in reimbursements by insurance companies now, the money we needed to stay afloat was rapidly depleting."... Opinion - William G. Plested III, MD: Starting the new year with our priorities set realistically American Medical News, Chicago, IL - Jan. 15, 2007 ...Last year, our No. 1 legislative priority was again medical liability reform. For the 10th time in the past 10 years, our MICRA-type bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, only to be stalled in the Senate... Silver Spring development plan includes commercial area Carlisle Sentinel, PA - Jan. 14, 2007 ...Sale of the building helped the department marshal all available assets from the financially troubled company to pay outstanding claims against hospitals and doctors insured by the company - once the nation's seventh-largest medical malpractice insurer... Insurance pool backers hope to try again The News Journal, Wilmington, DE - Jan. 14, 2007 ...Other health care legislation that could be introduced this session includes:...A bill, which was introduced last year, to subsidize medical malpractice premiums for physicians in high-risk fields such as obstetrics and gynecology... State: Crist set stage for insurance rate cuts St. Petersburg Times, FL - Jan. 13, 2007 ...Recent special sessions...June 2003: An attempt at reforming medical malpractice insurance ends in disarray. July 2003: Second session on medical malpractice insurance fails... Some doctors encouraged by new malpractice panel News Democrat, Belleville, IL - Jan. 13, 2007 ...Madison County Chief Judge Ann Callis has appointed three fellow judges to serve on a new committee that will meet with doctors and study medical malpractice issues... Hospitals slam surgery-taping proposal The MetroWest Daily News, Waltham, MA - Jan. 13, 2007 ...Critics say "Leona's Law" would be expensive and logistically challenging to implement, intrusive on patients' privacy and distracting for surgical teams. It could also promote a culture of medical malpractice suits, they say... Medical malpractice news
Hospital groups wary of cuts outline possible reforms The Journal News, White Plains, NY - Jan. 12, 2007 ...Those groups, as well as another hospital group, the Health Care Association of New York State, want the state to expand health insurance coverage to more people, cut waste out of the Medicaid system, reduce the prices paid for prescription drugs and cut premiums for medical-malpractice insurance, among other steps... Physicians offer healthcare reform principles Scientific American, NY - Jan. 12, 2007 ...The final principle is for "comprehensive medical liability reform," which is "essential to ensure access to quality healthcare."... Few neurosurgeons available on weekends The Birmingham News, AL - Jan. 12, 2007 ...Many neurosurgeons are limiting their practices because of the rising cost of malpractice insurance. A 2006 survey by the association found that 38 percent had limited the kinds of surgery they do... Editorial: State of the governor -- so far, so good Yakima Herald Republic, WA - Jan. 12, 2007 ...But we do think she pulled up short with her assessment that "we did what some thought was impossible -- we negotiated medical malpractice reform, and patient safety has been enhanced as a result."... Briley's judiciary spot clashes against GOP's tort reform push The City Paper, Nashville, TN - Jan. 12, 2007 ...when the Republicans try to maneuver their medical malpractice reforms through the state House, they will run into Briley (D-Nashville), a trial lawyer that was appointed as chair of the House Judiciary Committee... Partial lawsuit shield for ER docs gets new life in Senate committee Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ - Jan. 12, 2007 ...The Senate Health Committee on Thursday approved legislation to make it more difficult for someone injured due to a medical mistake in an emergency room to successfully sue for damages. The bill now goes to the full Senate... Med mal committee formed in Madison County Madison County Record, IL - Jan. 11, 2007 ...She said the judges eventually will report back to the Circuit, who will look into formulating new rules or procedures as they relate to medical malpractice cases... Physician insurer merges with Calif. company Crain's Cleveland Business, Cleveland, OH - Jan. 11, 2007 ...A California firm has purchased OHIC Insurance Co., one of Ohio’s largest medical malpractice insurers. The Doctors Co. of Napa, Calif., bought the Columbus-based physician insurer for an undisclosed amount... Medical malpractice news
Bill calls for videotaping hospital surgeries Boston Herald, MA - Jan. 11, 2007 ...Bill Trabucco, an EMT whose 62-year-old mother, Leona S. Trabucco, died during hip surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, wants to get Leona’s Law on the books in the belief cameras in operating rooms will make doctors more accountable - and provide conclusive proof one way or another in malpractice cases... Malpractice lawsuits decline The Oregonian, Portland, OR - Jan. 11, 2007 ...The consumer advocacy group Public Citizen mined the federal government's National Practitioner Data Bank to track malpractice payments made on behalf of doctors from 1990 to 2005. Among the findings:... Surgery-seekers go the distance The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, SC - Jan. 11, 2007 ...Businesses and insurance companies are looking at the potential savings of outsourcing medical care to developing countries where labor costs are low and malpractice suits are almost unheard of... Judge tosses IL hospital group's suit on medmal caps Chicago Business (Crain's) - Jan. 10, 2007 ...A Cook County judge has thrown out a request from the hospital industry to declare Illinois’ limits on payouts to victims of medical malpractice constitutional... Kennedy pushes for universal health coverage as he takes committee gavel Wednesday San Diego Union-Tribune, CA (Associated Press) - Jan. 10, 2007 ...While all the witnesses agreed that health care is becoming less affordable every year, they often had polar opposite solutions. For example, the Business Roundtable renewed its calls to change medical liability laws... Medical malpractice news
Kentucky Chamber seeks changes to health care, education, workers' comp Community Press & Recorder, Cincinnati, OH - Jan. 10, 2007 ...The chamber also wants to put medical malpractice reform on the ballot for Kentucky voters, an issue that didn't make it out of the state Senate last year... Editorial: Allstate decision should be issue for legislators The Capitol, Annapolis, MD - Jan. 10, 2007 ...In the area of health insurance, the legislature took on CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. It gave relief to doctors who had to pay excessive malpractice premiums... State of the state address by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire KGW-TV, Portland, OR (Associated Press) - Jan. 10, 2007 ...We did what some thought was impossible -- we negotiated medical malpractice reform, and patient safety has been enhanced as a result... Medical malpractice news
Health issues: Strong medicine Daily Policy Digest, National Center for Policy Analysis, TX - Jan. 9, 2007 ...The direct costs of the malpractice system, about $28 billion a year, are only the tip of the iceberg... Health officials ask lawmakers to help combat doctor loss Cecil Whig, Elkton, MD - Jan. 9, 2007 ..."The medical malpractice premium increases are hurting us," said Peter Gloggner, vice president of human resources. "When you’re only ten minutes away from the Delaware line, where premiums are lower, it is a factor."... Senate takes crack at insurance reform Orlando Sentinel, FL - Jan. 9, 2007 ...In addition, the plan calls for a controversial change that would allow Citizens to assess auto insurers and medical-malpractice insurance companies for deficits it incurs... Insurance plan seeks rate cuts, takes flak Palm Beach Post, FL - Jan. 9, 2007 ...And the plan, which will be taken up this morning at the banking committee meeting, includes a provision that would charge assessments for Citizens' losses to automobile insurance and medical malpractice insurance policyholders. Now, only property insurance policyholders are assessed for the losses.... Medical malpractice news
Chief judge plans new effort to see how Madison County courts figure into malpractice debate St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Jan. 8, 2007 ...Circuit Judge David Hylla, along with associate judges Tom Chapman and Steve Stobbs, will spend the coming months talking to doctors, lawyers and others about public perceptions and hear complaints about the Madison County courthouse as it relates to medical malpractice cases... Editorial: Raise funds for trauma network Macon Telegraph, GA - Jan. 8, 2007 ...One reason for the high costs is that so many trauma center clients are uninsured. Another is that it is hard to find enough specialists and surgeons willing to pay sky-high malpractice insurance rates... Opinion - Jack D. Walter: Before we limit malpractice lawsuits, let's limit medical mistakes The Tennessean, Nashville, TN - Jan. 8, 2007 ...Let's keep pressure on the medical establishment until they greatly reduce mistakes that, in turn, would greatly bring down the number of malpractice cases. Local state lawmakers have broad agenda The Herald-Mail, Hagerstown, MD - Jan. 7, 2007 ...Delegation members have a variety of issues they would like to address in legislation. Shank plans to push for better whistle-blower protection for state employees, particularly those in the prison system. He also cited medical-malpractice reform and new restrictions on sex offenders as priorities... It's all about the money Jackson Hole Star Tribune, WY - Jan. 7, 2007 ...Decaria said he felt the battle over tort reform -- limiting punitive damages in medical malpractice lawsuits -- was so emotionally draining that many legislators shy away from discussing health care issues today... Ailing Alaskans are lured abroad by medical costs one-tenth of those in U.S. Anchorage Daily News, AK - Jan. 7, 2007 ...In the United States, where the cost of medical malpractice insurance can top $100,000 per year for a single doctor, a patient has the right to sue if something goes wrong. But in places such as India and Thailand, legal recourse is limited and a patient should be willing to take whatever outcome occurs... Okla. lawmaker files 'negative outcomes' insurance bill Insurance Journal, CA - Jan. 5, 2006 ...In the announcement, Murphey said Negative Outcomes insurance is a unique approach to medical tort reform and would provide a free market alternative to the crises faced by physicians forced to deal with the high cost of medical malpractice insurance... Hospitals prepare for new medical-error reporting mandate Sacramento Business Journal, CA - Jan. 5, 2007 ...Information in the adverse-events reports is not protected from discovery during a lawsuit. "Everything we would write in a notification form to the Department of Health Services is available to a trial lawyer," Rogers said. That might inhibit some frank discussions about what caused the problem and how it might be fixed... Medical malpractice news
Medical verdict could be capped Beacon Journal, Akron, OH - Jan. 5, 2007 ...The Ohio legislature capped pain-and-suffering awards in medical malpractice cases at between $500,000 and $1 million in 2003. However, Sinclair said malpractice cases can take years to reach a verdict, so few, if any, cases have had to deal directly with caps yet... Doctor enjoys educating patients The Phoenix, Phoenixville, PA - Jan. 5, 2006 ...According to Brian Torrence, director of marketing and public relations, there is a general shortage for Ob/Gyns in Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Medical Society, that is due to the high cost of malpractice insurance... Mass. Supreme Court overturns dismissal in doctor's malicious prosecution case Legal News Line, D. C. - Jan. 5, 2007 ...now will have his case against Travelers Insurance Company heard in Superior Court. He says the company had no right bring a medical malpractice claim, which was dismissed, against him... Birthwise no longer is delivering babies The Enid News and Eagle, OK - Jan. 5, 2006 ...“Along with many factors, primarily the cost of malpractice insurance, continuing to offer midwifery services including the birth center is financially prohibiting.”... Report: Georgia's trauma care system in 'crisis,' needs support Access North Georgia, Gainesville, GA (Associated Press) - Jan. 5, 2006 ...Trauma surgeons warned that high malpractice insurance rates and demanding schedules are driving more talented physicians out of the trauma business... Session opens with flurry of new bills Journal Inquirer, Manchester, CT - Jan. 4, 2006 ...Physicians also have complained for years about skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates, yet Connecticut is finding fewer insurance companies willing to offer coverage because of high settlements... Medical malpractice news
Paradise costly for health workers Star Bulletin, Honolulu, HI - Jan. 4, 2007 ...Green said he will call for better insurance reimbursements, malpractice reform and incentives to attract more physicians at the upcoming state Legislature session... Who benefits from medical malpractice caps Sulphur Southwest Daily News, LA - Jan. 4, 2007 ...Schrumpf believes the next thing voters will see is an attempt to keep the cap by making it a part of the state Constitution... Field poll: Californians have high concerns over health care Central Valley Business Times, Stockton, CA - Jan. 3, 2007 ...Too many malpractice lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, and health plans (46 percent)... Medical malpractice news
Pennsylvania legislators sworn in as nation mourns loss Solanco News, Quarryville, PA - Jan. 3, 2007 ...His principal focus during his first term will be to support legislation that will contain healthcare costs and address tort reform and Pennsylvania's ongoing medical malpractice insurance crisis... Suit limits likely a no-go Memphis Commercial Appeal, TN - Jan. 3, 2007 ...New legislators voted into office in November may be less likely to support an awards cap, he said. But he said practices such as mandatory arbitration in malpractice suits may have a better chance... Sykes praises 'spirit of cooperation' The Duncan Banner, Duncan, OK - Jan. 2, 2007 ...In addition to the budget and immigration, he added that tort reform in both medical malpractice and in worker’s comp would also be a priority... Explosion of medical spas prompts concerns: no legislation proposed in N.H. yet Eagle Tribune, North Andover, MA - Jan. 2, 2007 ..."Malpractice is very serious. We're taking it quite serious in assuring that if they're using the title medical spa, they better have some sort of accreditation and qualified doctors on site," she said... Medical malpractice news
Doctor can sue insurance co. for malicious prosecution Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Boston MA - Jan. 2, 2007 ...ISSUE: Can a neurologist bring a malicious prosecution claim against an insurance company that had unsuccessfully sued him for medical malpractice after settling a workers’ comp claim with a man who was injured when he failed to follow the neurologist’s advice?... Medical malpractice news
Lawmakers due back in Jackson Tuesday Vicksburg Post, MS - Jan. 1, 2007 ...Masterson also said he planned to introduce a bill that would lower doctors' malpractice-liability cap in cases with Medicaid patients as plaintiffs. "I'd like to see some way that physicians that take care of Medicaid patients could get reduced liability," ... Other issues facing the legislature Burlington Free Press, VT - Jan. 1, 2007 ...MEDICAL LIABILITY: Medical advocates want lawmakers to allow pre-trial screening of medical lawsuits as a way to discourage frivolous cases... Opinion - Steve Roberts: Commentary: Here's to further progress this year Charleston Daily Mail, WV - Jan. 1, 2007 ...Medical malpractice savings -- West Virginia put into place one of the best reform packages to help doctors who were facing a medical malpractice crisis... |
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