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Archives
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Malpractice law expansion rejected The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA - Apr. 29, 2008 The House of Representatives watered down, then killed, legislation Monday to expand coverage under the state’s medical malpractice laws... Editorial: Poor Pennsylvanians need access to care The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 29, 2008 ...Stabilizing the high cost of malpractice insurance has been crucial to stem the tide of physicians leaving the state. But Gov. Rendell wants to tap the growing MCare surplus to help pay for extending coverage to uninsured Pennsylvanians... Opinion - Berry Friesen: Health insurance reform depends on the questions The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 29, 2008 ...Much as they might want to avoid this discussion and defer to Washington, the Senate will confront it as part of extending a state subsidy to help physicians pay for malpractice protection... Across USA, anxiety over access to patient records USA Today - Apr. 29, 2008 ...Although there are no statistics on such cases, disputes over medical records often are at the crux of malpractice lawsuits... Medical malpractice insurance rates dropping The Daily Courier, Prescott, AZ - Apr. 28, 2008 ...But in talking with local doctors and hospital officials about Prescott's primary care physician shortage, the issue of medical malpractice insurance came up only once when a doctor noted that MICA intended to reduce its rates by 8 percent... Lawsuit caps tied to Southeast Texas growth The Beaumont Enterprise, TX - Apr. 28, 2008 ...Much of the lawsuit reform focused on medical malpractice in the mid-1990s, and the Texas Legislature set caps on non-economic damages for plaintiffs at $750,000 in 2003 with voters approving a constitutional amendment on the caps that year.... Medical malpractice news
Arkansas' doctors expanding care through long-distance medicine Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Fayetteville, AR - Apr. 28, 2008 ...Medical liability insurers also are beginning to offer coverage for telemedicine. Medical licensing is another major barrier to expanding ... Capitol Matters: Senate looks to expand health care coverage Daily and Sunday Review, Towanda, PA - Apr. 27, 2008 ...Senators have raised major concerns about how the program expansion will be paid for over the long run. They are troubled by a provision to tie the program's financing to a 10-year extension of the state subsidy that helps physicians meet malpractice insurance costs... Editorial: Only a baby step Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN - Apr. 27, 2008 ...The ultimate goal of physicians and insurers -- to place hard-and-fast caps on damage awards in malpractice cases -- will be much more difficult to justify... Doctor shortage critical Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus, GA - Apr. 27, 2008 ..."The American public does not understand what shape the health care system is in," he said. "We're in poor shape. Malpractice, Medicare rate cuts doesn't do anything to help that." Nevada's insurance commissioner to retire Nevada Appeal, Carson City, NV - Apr. 26, 2008 ..She also worked to help create the Medical Liability Association of Nevada to provide medical malpractice insurance when major insurers left Nevada in 2002... Central Wis. doctors in charge of state physicians organization Wausau Daily Herald, WI - Apr. 26, 2008 ...The move could destabilize the state's long history of having a favorable medical malpractice climate, making it tougher to recruit physicians, when the state and rest of the nation face impending shortages of doctors... Medical malpractice news
Legislature passes medical malpractice reform bill Nashville Business Journal, TN - Apr. 25, 2008 ...The bill will require attorneys to file a certificate of good faith to reduce the number of medical malpractice claims that end in no payment to the plaintiff... Compromise malpractice bill on Bredesen's desk Nashville City Paper, TN - Apr. 25, 2008 ...The bill tries to limit potentially frivolous lawsuits being filed by requiring plaintiff’s attorneys to have a medical expert sign a “certificate of good faith” that medical malpractice occurred... Governor Blunt says lawsuit reform a success Fox 2 TV, St. Louis, MO (Associated Press) - Apr. 25, 2008 Governor Blunt says Missouri is seeing the benefits of medical lawsuit-reform legislation passed nearly three years ago... Reforms cut frivolous lawsuits, Blunt says Springfield News-Leader, MO - Apr. 25, 2008 ...Since Blunt got medical malpractice tort reform passed three years ago, total claims against Missouri doctors dropped 61 percent from 2005 to 2006... Battle raging again with dueling Colorado ballot initiatives Denver Business Journal, CO - Apr. 25, 2008 Nine proposed ballot issues were filed this week by individuals aligned with trial lawyers in the state in apparent retaliation for a proposed amendment that would severely limit contingency fee compensation for lawyers in civil lawsuits... N.C. Medical Board may put malpractice settlement info online Triangle Business Journal, Raleigh, NC - Apr. 25, 2008 Consumers could soon see if their doctors have settled any malpractice lawsuits in the past seven years... Governor calls for greater access to primary and preventive care Empire State News.net, NY - Apr. 25, 2008 ...“We need more primary and preventive care. We need greater access to affordable health insurance. We need to fix our medical malpractice system... Collins Survey: Medical liability insurers express short-term optimism, but long-term concern for competitive pressures Centre Daily Times, State College, PA - Apr. 25, 2008 U.S. medical liability insurers anticipate their primary rate levels to decrease in 2008, compared with 2007, while the average frequency and severity of claims sustained by their firms will remain about the same as last year... Malpractice insurance: killing issue for midwife bill? The Missourinet, Jefferson City, MO - Apr. 24, 2008 ...late-rising concerns about who is financially liable if a home-birth goes badly wrong are the latest obstacle in his effort to gain state recognition for those midwives... Medical malpractice news
Lawmakers seek to lure doctors to underserved areas Honolulu Advertiser, HI - Apr. 24, 2008 ...Several lawmakers said privately that the debate this session over reducing liability for medical malpractice, driven by the Hawai'i Medical Association and, to some extent, Green, may have sapped some of energy behind addressing some of the other factors that have led to shortages... Sacred Heart, LVH may join forces The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 24, 2008 ...a spokesman for the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said economic pressures such as the rising cost of malpractice insurance are forcing smaller hospitals into relationships with larger ones... Groups push for health care plan The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA - Apr. 24, 2008 ...The most controversial source is the surplus in a state fund used to help Pennsylvania doctors cover their medical malpractice insurance costs... Medical malpractice news
Report says Illinois has one of the worst legal climates in the country Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Apr. 23, 2008 ...The Chamber's report cited a Cook County judge in November striking down a law that limited the amount of damages plaintiffs could receive in medical malpractice cases... Opinion - Kevin Pho: Wasted medical dollars USA Today - Apr. 23, 2008 ...Dwarfing these reasons is a phenomenon in which doctors order tests to avoid the threat of a malpractice lawsuit. This is known as "defensive medicine."... Medical malpractice news
Beacon Hill Roll Call Saugus Advertiser, Beverly, MA - Apr. 22, 2008 ...The Senate, 6-33, rejected an amendment making changes in the state's medical malpractice laws... Supreme Court to hear to cases at Tech law school The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, TX - Apr. 22, 2008 ...The local case deals with whether an insurance company should pay more than limits set by state medical malpractice law because the company refused a reasonable settlement offer, according to the news release... Medical malpractice news
Editorial: A loan-forgiveness program would bolster state efforts to retain medical professionals The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA - Apr. 21, 2008 ...Part of the problem is Pennsylvania's medical malpractice environment, which has improved in recent years as a result of actions taken both by the Legislature and the state Supreme Court. It remains far from ideal, however... Editorial: Doctor shortage becomes acute The Republican-American, Waterbury, CT - Apr. 21, 2008 ..Having rejected the sort of malpractice-litigation reform that has lured doctors to Texas in droves since 2003, Connecticut adds injury to insult by skimping on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements... Opinion - Dr. S. Amjad Hussain: Universal healthcare more equitable than current system Toledo Blade, OH - Apr. 21, 2008 ...Malpractice insurance premiums and jury awards constitute but only 0.46 percent of total health spending. Practicing defensive medicine by ordering unnecessary and redundant tests adds about 9 percent to the cost but, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, it is not in itself that significant... Pa. midwife fights to keep working Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Apr. 20, 2008 ..Because they collaborate with obstetricians, nurse-midwives are subject to restrictions, many dictated by malpractice concerns. Many of them do not attend home births, but work in hospitals... South Florida medical malpractice cases difficult for both sides South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Apr. 20, 2008 ...Medical malpractice cases can wind through the legal system, sometimes gaining new life in appeals even after settlements with doctors involved. On average, the life span of a malpractice case is three to five years... Wanted: Doctors in Del. The News Journal, Wilmington, DE - Apr. 19, 2008 ..Many are leaving because payments from private insurers and Medicare don't keep pace with costs and medical malpractice insurance rates continue to rise... Malpractice lawsuits plunge The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA - Apr. 18, 2008 ...The drop reflects a statewide trend as malpractice lawsuits in 2007 decreased about 11 percent, to 1,617, from 1,817 in 2004. They averaged 2,733 annually between 2000 and 2002 in the state... Medical malpractice news
Bill that would limit nursing home suits on hold The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, TN (Associated Press) - Apr. 18, 2008 A proposal to put caps on damages from malpractice lawsuits against nursing homes is headed to a study committee, meaning it likely won't pass this session... Misericordia students host health care summit The Citizens Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA - Apr. 18, 2008 ...To meet the needs of the uninsured, Yudichak and Mundy lauded health care initiatives moving through the state legislature, including medical malpractice reform... Medical malpractice company to pay dividend The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA - Apr. 18, 2008 ...This is the first time in LAMMICO's 26-year history that the company will return a dividend to its policyholders. LAMMICO is the predominant writer of professional liability coverage for physicians and surgeons in Louisiana... Opinion - Sen. Rob O'Leary: Health care reform II The Barnstable Patriot, MA - Apr. 18, 2008 ...However, I think that we can do more, especially in the area of malpractice reform. The legislation as filed authorizes a Medical Malpractice Study... Editorial: Primary care dilemma Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA - Apr. 18, 2008 ...The Berkshires also face a shortage of obstetrician/gynecologists for the reasons noted above, along with punishing malpractice insurance costs. It is encouraging, however, that there are efforts afoot by state health leaders to assist the Berkshires ... Choosy mothers choose caesareans Time Magazine - Apr. 17, 2008 ...Shaping those norms are some powerful fiscal forces as well, such as soaring malpractice rates for obstetricians. Since doctors are sued more frequently after vaginal births than caesareans, surgery is often the prudent choice when there is even the slightest indication of a difficult ... Medical malpractice news
State aims to close health gap Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, MA - Apr. 17, 2008 ...Primary care doctors are being driven from the field by shrinking reimbursement rates and growing caseloads. OB/GYNs have similar problems while facing large malpractice insurance payments... Editorial: Malpractice insurance costs must be addressed South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Apr. 17, 2008 ...The situation is just the latest evidence that Florida continues to have a medical crisis on its hands, even if the debate over malpractice reforms has quieted in Tallahassee.... Colorado physicians and trial lawyers tangle on liability measure AAFP News Now, Leawood, KS - Apr. 16, 2008 Colorado physicians have been engaged in an ongoing battle with that state's trial lawyers regarding a bill that would dramatically increase the amount of money patients and their trial attorneys can collect in malpractice awards... Medical malpractice news
New York Senate tweaks medical malpractice insurance requirements Insurance Journal, CA - Apr. 16, 2008 The New York State Senate has passed a bill that lowers the required level of primary medical malpractice coverage that a doctor must have to qualify for the state's Excess Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Coverage Program... Primary care doctors find better job market Times Union, Albany, NY - Apr. 16, 2008 ...The number of primary care doctors remaining in New York was 41 percent, down 11 percentage points since 2002. No general surgery graduates remained in New York in 2007. The Medical Society of the State of New York blamed high malpractice rates... Web site has large dose of doctor info Telegraph and Daily Gazette, Sterling, IL - Apr. 16, 2008 ...He added, however, that any potential drawbacks of the physician profile Web site are more than offset by the short- and long-term benefits of caps on medical-malpractice judgments against doctors and hospitals... Malpractice filings at five-year low The Bulletin, Philadelphia, PA (Capitolwire) - Apr. 16, 2008 ..Lawmakers and supporters of additional legal reforms agreed that those changes have reduced the number of medical malpractice cases filed in Pennsylvania... Opinion - Julie Bunn: Health care reform: Where are we headed and why Woodbury Bulletin, MN - Apr. 16, 2008 ...Those items viewed as having the lowest potential for cost savings include malpractice reform, drug-pricing reform, and enhanced primary prevention activities... Web site boasts quick lawsuits Legal Newsline, CA - Apr. 15, 2008 ...Attorneys are charged a monthly fee by the Mountain View, Calif., company to view potential cases in a variety of categories, including animal and dog bites, medical malpractice and slip and fall accidents... Medical malpractice news
Medical malpractice suits down 4.5% from 2006 The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 15, 2008 ...Chief Justice Ronald Castille attributed the decline to key changes made several years ago -- a court requirement in 2003 that an independent physician or expert certify the viability of a medical malpractice lawsuit and a 2002 law ending the practice of "venue shopping" in which attorneys file cases in the county where a favorable jury verdict is most likely... Pa.'s medical malpractice filings down 4.5% Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Apr. 15, 2008 ...In Philadelphia, the number of cases rose from 569 in 2006 to 586 in 2007, but is still less than half the total in 2002. Between 2002 and 2007, cases rose from 21 to 103 in Montgomery County. In 2007, there were 10 malpractice cases where juries awarded $1 million or more... Pa. medical malpractice case filings continue post-reform pace Pittsburgh Business Times, PA - Apr. 15, 2008 ..."The latest statistics provide additional evidence that the sharp drop in medical malpractice litigation, which began in 2003, was not a temporary correction, but a sustained response to the procedural rule changes adopted by the Supreme Court and the statutory changes enacted by the General Assembly," Chief Justice Ronald Castille said... Medical malpractice news
State says malpractice cases drop further The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA - Apr. 14, 2008 ...There were 1,617 medical malpractice lawsuits filed in 2007, according to the state Supreme Court. That's down from 1,693 in 2006, and 2,903 in 2002, the year before legal changes intended to prevent frivolous lawsuits took effect... Pa. medical malpractice case filings continue post-reform pace Philadelphia Business Journal, PA - Apr. 14, 2008 ...The number of medical malpractice case filings last year continued to decline in Pennsylvania but increased slightly in Philadelphia, according to data released by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court... Health care disparities: Deregulation first, redistribution last National Center for Policy Analysis, Dallas, TX - Apr. 14, 2008 ...A costly and unreliable medical malpractice system leads to the closure of desperately needed facilities that serve marginal communities... Editorial: Our Opinion: Legislation won't benefit patients Atlanta Journal-Constitution, GA - Apr. 14, 2008 ...While the new laws haven't been in place long, the trend doesn't suggestion malpractice reform will have an appreciable impact on medical costs. This year's laws probably won't either... Malpractice insurer to give back $11 million to Illinois doctors Insurance Journal, CA (Associated Press) - Apr. 14, 2008 Illinois doctors will get a refund collectively worth $11 million from the state's largest medical malpractice insurer... Web site provides info on Illinois doctors Peoria Journal Star, IL - Apr. 14, 2008 More information about Illinois' doctors, including out-of-court settlements of malpractice lawsuits, is now available on a new Web site operated by the state... Major Tennessee budget issues pending Commericial Appeal, Memphis, TN - Apr. 14, 2008 ...A scaled-down measure to block meritless medical malpractice lawsuits from coming to trial, by requiring advance certification by experts and other steps, now appears likely to pass... More S. Florida obstetricians stop delivering babies, cut services South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Apr. 14, 2008 ...From neurosurgeons to family physicians, doctors say they are stung by the high cost of malpractice insurance and low reimbursement for care... U.S. patients turn for care to Mexico (with poll) Arizona Daily Star, Tucson, AZ - Apr. 13, 2008 ...Cigna Healthcare and Aetna are the two Arizona insurers exploring medical tourism coverage. Their preliminary evaluations are taking into account such issues as safety and malpractice... Doctors leave desite malpractice-award cap The Repository, Canton, OH (Associated Press) - Apr. 13, 2008 ...Five years after a law trying to reduce the malpractice rates went into effect, Ohio has fewer doctors who deliver babies than at the height of protests about high costs... Medical malpractice news
Bucks health director resigns The Intelligencer, Doylestown, PA - Apr. 11, 2008 ...The medical malpractice situation may also force doctors into early retirement. “We certainly hope it doesn't take as long as it did last time,” he said... Chesco eyeing trauma care Philadelphia Business Journal, Apr. 11, 2008 ...Chester County, with 485,000 residents, is the largest county in Pennsylvania without a trauma center to care for critically injured patients. High medical malpractice insurance costs factored into the decision to close the trauma center... Health care overhaul wins House approval, but long road ahead Duluth News Tribune, MN (Associated Press) - Apr. 11, 2008 ...Attempts to allow private out-of-state insurers more latitude to sell policies in Minnesota, reduce taxes on medical providers and limit medical malpractice penalties either failed or were ruled out of order by DFL leaders... Opinion - Lawrence J. McQuillan and Hovannes Abramyan: Jump-starting the economy Forbes, NY - Apr. 11, 2008 ...One out of eight physicians gets hit with a malpractice suit every year. Medical liability concerns prompt doctors to practice "defensive medicine," ordering more tests and procedures than they would otherwise deem necessary in an attempt to avoid litigation... Measure is on life support The Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO - Apr. 10, 2008 ...Carroll has offered to amend SB164 so it would only raise the amount malpractice victims could receive for physical impairment or disfigurement to $468,010. That would be the first increase in nearly two decades... Contracts would replace malpractice suits Renal and Urology News, NY - Apr. 10, 2008 The think tank that developed the Health Savings Accounts is proposing that contracts replace lawsuits to compensate injured patients. These contracts would disregard fault and mandate full disclosure, while accounting for patient compliance and varying degrees of risk... Medical malpractice news
Last-minute effort allows suit reform bid to advance in state House The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK - Apr. 10, 2008 ...The lawsuit reform bill is generally the same as the measure vetoed last year by Gov. Brad Henry... Editorial: Health-care stalemate must end Erie Times-News, PA - Apr. 10, 2008 ...state Senate Republicans are playing with fire on health care -- the kind that could cost you your favorite doctor or specialist if a stalemate over malpractice insurance isn't resolved soon... Head of Texas Medical Board stepping down Aug. 28 Austin American-Statesman, TX - Apr. 10, 2008 ...Patrick, a neurosurgeon, took the helm of a board that had been criticized for being too lax on doctors. After the Legislature made it harder to sue doctors for malpractice in 2003, the board -- which licenses and regulates doctors, physician assistants and acupuncturists -- became many consumers' last resort... Regulate health care industry as a utility, Dr. Cleavland recommends The Chatanoogan, TN - Apr. 10, 2008 ...* Utilization of systematic reviews to address medical errors and malpractice... Opinion - Chris Vuille: Tallahassee can do better on health care Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL - Apr. 10, 2008 ...Create a doctor rating service that makes consumers aware of the different skill levels of physicians, combined with a reduction in malpractice awards... Opinion - Mike Thomas: Lawmakers are killing elderly - they may as well make it legal Orlando Sentinel, FL - Apr. 10, 2008 ...Such negligence created a malpractice-insurance crisis. The industry complained of frivolous lawsuits, but the evidence was clear: Homes with the lowest staff levels and worst health inspections attracted the most litigation... Editorial: Rendell should renominate Ario The Republican & Herald, Pottsville, PA - Apr. 9, 2008 ...Their concern is that Rendell will not approve extension of the publicly funded abatement of physicians medical liability insurance unless a surplus in that fund is used to help fund health insurance for low-income workers who can't afford it... Medical malpractice news
Senate asked to operate on doctors' tuition bill The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA - Apr. 9, 2008 ...Young doctors can’t afford to practice in Pennsylvania because of malpractice insurance costs and other issues, said Dr. Peter Lund, Pennsylvania Medical Society president... Insurance question divides Oklahoma physicians The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK - Apr. 9, 2008 ...said the only way any national health insurance plan could work is to have major reforms on medical malpractice insurance and their high rates among all doctors... Opinion - Dr. Ferdinand J. Venditti: Better plan needed to preserve rural health care Times Union, Albany, NY - Apr. 9, 2008 ...We need a different strategy if we are going to preserve health care in our rural communities. Reimbursement is part of the problem as is the malpractice crisis... Opinion - David A. Ridenour: Trial lawyers threaten patients' health Investor's Business Daily - Apr. 8, 2008 ...Amid the varying dynamics affecting patient care, liability is a common thread. Fortunately, some states are reducing their health care bills by capping court awards against doctors and hospitals... Loudon proposes midwife compromise St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Apr. 8, 2008 ...The changes include requiring midwives to carry malpractice insurance and restricting their ability to administer medication... State lawmakers want more study on damages from nursing homes lawsuits The Jackson Sun, TN (Associated Press) - Apr. 8, 2008 ...The sponsor of a proposal to put caps on damages from malpractice lawsuits against nursing homes has decided to send the measure to a study committee after the legislative session... Medical malpractice news
Illinois physicians profiled on state's new Web site The State Journal-Register, Springfield, IL - Apr. 8, 2008 More information about Illinois’ doctors, including out-of-court settlements of malpractice lawsuits, is now available on a new Web site operated by the state... Editorial: Double whammy The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA - Apr. 8, 2008 ...Their concern is that Mr. Rendell will not approve extension of the publicly funded abatement of physicians medical liability insurance unless a surplus in that fund is used to help fund health insurance for low-income workers who can’t afford it... Lawyers: Patient safety lies in the hands of medical field Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY - Apr. 8, 2008 ..."I don't think we need these kinds of reform," Hambrick said. "The tort system works here." Shanor said the trail lawyers association does not support a health court system... Opinion - Arnold Ghitis, M.D.: Lawyers, insurance industry, doctors and officials need to work together to fix health-care system South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL - Apr. 8, 2008 ...This phenomenon began in the last five years when skyrocketing malpractice insurance rates became unaffordable for doctors. Many physicians opted out of ER call... Editorial: A dangerous legal shield for drug makers The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA - Apr. 8, 2008 ...Where’s the justice in that, you may ask. That is a compelling question – one the U.S. Supreme Court should take to heart in a key medical liability case it is set to hear this fall... CACI offers pro-business political-action website Dever Business Journal, CO - Apr. 7, 2008 ...CACI claims the website already has been deployed to encourage users to oppose SB 164, a bill before the state Legislature that would lift caps on medical malpractice claims... Medical malpractice news
In pictures: The worst places to get sued in America Forbes, NY - Apr. 7, 2008 ...ATRA conducts a survey of several hundred defense attorneys and corporate executives to generate its annual report on "Judicial Hellholes." ... Opinion - Saralee Parel: First, do no harm Cape Cod Times, MA - Apr. 7, 2008 ...Malpractice premiums are astronomical. But the answer is not cramming in more patients... Tennessee medical malpractice legislation passes House Insurance Journal, CA (Associated Press) - Apr. 7, 2008 ...A bipartisan effort fell apart in the House last year over an amendment that would have changed the so-called "locality rule'' for which medical experts can testify in malpractice trials... Nursing homes want to limit lawsuits The Tennessean, Nashville, TN - Apr. 6, 2008 ..Supporters suggest that nursing homes are drowning under a flood of litigation from out-of-state lawyers, while critics accuse the industry of cutting off the only recourse for victims of negligence and greed... Opinion - Ronald A. Ripps, MD: Connecticut has trouble attracting new doctors The News-Times, Danbury, CT - Apr. 6, 2008 ...In a state where 16 members of the legislature's 43-member Judiciary Committee are attorneys, including the two Democratic co-chairmen and the two ranking Republicans, tort reform appears to be no more than a fleeting fantasy... Doctors who have been disciplined must say so sooner Anchorage Daily News, AK - Apr. 6, 2008 ...The state already requires doctors to report patient malpractice settlements to the medical board within 30 days... New FDA policy will speed up news about medicine The Greenville News, SC - Apr. 6, 2008 ...HCNN officials say the system could also limit malpractice suits since fewer patients would be harmed. And it should reduce paperwork... Docs feeling better The News-Herald, Willoughby, OH - Apr. 6, 2008 ...In the face of increasing rates for medical malpractice liability insurance, many physicians lobbied state government for legislation that would help decrease the number of what they deemed frivolous malpractice lawsuits... Medical liability worries end free school physicals Rocky Mount Telegram, Rocky Mount, NC - Apr. 6, 2008 ...An increase in medical liability will end a more than 30 year old initiative in Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools. School administrators have eliminated school site physicals for student athletes... Editorial: Malpractice subsidy Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Apr. 5, 2008 ...As of Monday, malpractice insurance policies came due for nearly 19,000 physicians and other medical professionals. Without the subsidy, primary-care doctors will have to dig into their own pockets for an additional $1,500 a year, while high-risk specialists will be out about $15,000... Business: More litigation-wary docs: Sign here first St. Petersburg Times, FL - Apr. 4, 2008 ...According to the state's largest medical malpractice insurer, several hundred doctors now require patients to accept binding arbitration as a condition for care. Obstetricians are particularly likely to have such a requirement... Medical malpractice news
Best practices set for treating costly illnesses The News & Observer, Raleigh, NC (Associated Press) - Apr. 4, 2008 ...Easley said the guidelines will help ensure consistent and high-quality care for patients across North Carolina, and help protect doctors from medical malpractice suits... Chamber gathering gets upbeat economic message The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV - Apr. 4, 2008 ...The state has improved its situations with medical malpractice and workers compensation. Now, it needs to work on tort reform, he said, because when site selectors are looking at different states, they research these types of statistics... SCPIE holders approve takeover Businessweek (Associated Press) - Apr. 3, 2008 SCPIE Holdings Inc., a provider of health care liability insurance, said Thursday shareholders voted in favor of a deal to be acquired by The Doctors Co., a physician-owned medical malpractice carrier... Tennessee bill cracking down on frivolous medical lawsuits passes House WVLT-TV, Knoxville, TN (Associated Press) - Apr. 3, 2008 Legislation that would seek to limit frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits passed the House almost unanimously after stalling in last year's session. Lawmakers voted 93-1 on Thursday for the bill that includes requiring defendants be given 60 days notice before a lawsuit is filed... Medical malpractice news
Rendell insurance nominee blocked by GOP The Morning Call, Allentown, PA (Associated Press) - Apr. 3, 2008 ...Arneson questioned Ario's deference to Rendell in refusing to extend a five-year-old, $1 billion state subsidy to help more than 35,000 doctors and other medical professionals buy malpractice insurance... Physicians, needy Pennsylvanians deserve better than this MCare deadlock The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 3, 2008 The state Legislature delivered another of its maddening, do-nothing, fumble-the-ball performances this week regarding the fund that helps physicians pay for malpractice insurance... Opinion - Douglas Reichley and Craig Daily: MCare crisis politics hold doctors hostage The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 3, 2008 ...This was our last chance to extend the MCare abatement before malpractice premiums rise astronomically... State sues over insurance company's failure Sarasota Herald-Tribune, FL - Apr. 3, 3008 ...That charge, which adds $50 to a $2,500 premium, includes homeowners, commercial property, medical malpractice and aircraft insurance policies... Editorial: The Wisconsin 'tragedy' The Wall Street Journal, NY - Apr. 3, 2008 ...for instance laying waste to Wisconsin's medical malpractice laws and endorsing a "risk contribution" liability standard for lead paint that made the question of guilt or innocence irrelevant... Opinion - Frank Petosa: Doctors' duties need regulation Tampa Tribune, FL - Apr. 3, 2008 For years, Florida has debated an alleged doctor shortage with the primary scapegoat being patients and the attorneys who help them seek justice when they have been injured or killed by medical negligence or malpractice... Doctors' med-mal payments double for state program The Sentinel, Carlisle, PA - Apr. 2, 2008 Doctors across Cumberland County and the rest of the state mailed their payment into MCare last week, the statewide fund that helps them pay for malpractice lawsuits. It was more expensive than usual... Medical board says it'll try to improve relations with doctors Dallas Morning News, TX (Associated Press) - Apr. 2, 2008 ...Lawmakers and board officials also discussed anecdotal information that the number of complaints against doctors may be rising because the Legislature restricted medical malpractice lawsuits in 2003, prompting attorneys to refer patients to the Texas Medical Board instead of taking cases to court... Survey: Michigan may face a physician shortage in 10 years Crain's Detriot Business, MI - Apr. 2, 2008 ...Factors cited by physicians include age (67 percent), increasing administrative or regulatory hassles (36 percent), inadequate reimbursement (34 percent), high medical malpractice insurance costs (25 percent), lifestyle changes (24 percent), and general lack of job satisfaction (20 percent)... Medical malpractice news
Lawmakers approve shifts in health care The Ithaca Journal, NY - Apr. 2, 2008 ...The health-spending plan does not include a measure pushed by the GOP-led Senate to reduce rates for medical malpractice insurance premiums. The Democrat-controlled Assembly wants to handle that issue outside the budget. State ends doctor subsidy Erie Times-News, PA - Apr. 2, 2008 ...The five-year, $1 billion taxpayer subsidy, known as the MCare abatement program, lapsed Monday when state legislators couldn't break an impasse over expanding a state health-insurance program... Opinion - Ed Mathews: Health care on Clinton's mind Erie Times-News, PA - Apr. 2, 2008 ...Pennsylvania doctors have to pay more for malpractice insurance as of Tuesday. The insurance is very expensive, too... The Informed Patient: Making room for 'Dr. Nurse' The Wall Street Journal, NY - Apr. 2, 2008 ...As doctors face shrinking insurance reimbursements and rising malpractice-insurance costs, more medical students are forsaking primary care for specialty practices with higher incomes and more predictable hours. As a result, there could be a shortfall ranging from 85,000 to 200,000 primary-care physicians by 2020, according to various estimates... New loan rate for Pennsylvania doctors who require med-mal insurance Pittsburgh Business Times, PA - Apr. 1, 2008 ...Doctors are required to carry malpractice insurance and the state has helped pay part of the premiums for years. But Gov. Ed Rendell has refused to extend the state's coverage without improved health care coverage for the uninsured... Medical malpractice news
Pennsylvania doctors lose medical malpractice subsidy The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Apr. 1, 2008 A five-year, $1 billion taxpayer subsidy to help Pennsylvania doctors buy medical malpractice insurance lapsed Monday, forcing physicians to pay higher premiums unless Democrats and Republicans break an impasse... House Dems block stand-alone doctors' subsidy The Bulletin, Philadelphia, PA (Capitolwire) - Apr. 1, 2008 State House Democrats blocked an effort yesterday by House Republicans to call up and vote on legislation extending a program to help doctors pay their medical malpractice premiums... Democrats block GOP effort on one-year extension; prices likely to rise Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Apr. 1, 2008 ...financial assistance for doctors to defray malpractice insurance costs, known as the MCare abatement program. But even if GOP members had succeeded, Gov. Ed Rendell likely would not have signed the bill... Pa. docs lose med-mal subsidy as health-care debate hits impasse Washington Observer-Reporter, PA (Associated Press) - Apr. 1, 2008 ...Republicans who control the Senate are critical of the health insurance provision, and encouraged the House instead to pass a bill approved by the Senate in December that will extend the medical malpractice subsidy through the end of 2008... West Virginia - Dedicated to improving its legal climate The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, Mountainside, NJ - Apr. 1, 2008 ...There was so much medical malpractice litigation that companies stopped writing medical malpractice insurance. It had reached the point in West Virginia where we were down to essentially one company and they weren't writing policies for any new doctors... Editorial: Withholding information Las Vegas Review-Journal, NV - Apr. 1, 2008 ...At a meeting of the Board last week, Board member Donald Baepler -- possibly emboldened by the governor's wavering on the resignations -- proceeeded to challenge the governor's instructions on posting the malpractice lawsuit information... MCare deadline approaching Philadelphia Business Journal, PA - Mar. 31, 2008 ...Since 2003, in response to escalating malpractice premiums, the state has used part of the proceeds from state cigarette taxes for an abatement program that covers all or part of a doctor's Mcare assessment... |
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