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Archives
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Paying workers to go abroad for health care Wall Street Journal, NY - Sep 30, 2008 ...And follow-up care can be difficult to find once a patient returns home; many U.S. physicians and dentists are reluctant to treat such patients for fear of being exposed to malpractice lawsuits because of possible poor treatment abroad... Opinion - Berry Friesen: Action needed now on health care problems The Reporter, Lansdale, PA - Sep 30, 2008 ...Last in line will be the physicians and the hospital executives who find themselves without a state subsidy for medical malpractice premiums. Those subsidies are also at risk in the current debate. Generating sympathy for them may be a bit of a reach, but we should readily acknowledge their indispensable roles in our health-care system... Editorial: Editor's notebook: Doctor drought The Capital, Annapolis, MD - Sep 29, 2008 ...Apparently when you put together low payout rates from insurance carriers, high malpractice insurance premiums and a high cost of living, Maryland is just not an appetizing place to build a medical career... Medical malpractice news
Often, preventive medicine means warding off suits Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily Magazine, PA - Sep 29, 2008 ...Under the dictum "If you don't write it down, it didn't happen," a doctor can end up transcribing all the minutiae of a conversation. And "covering yourself" consumes a lot of time in an already busy health system. The threat of malpractice weighs heavily on us - even during early training - because we fear that going to court will undermine our life's work... Jacksonville insurer caught in market's carnival ride The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, FL - Sep 29, 2008 ...For example, follow the bouncing ball that represents the recent stock price of FPIC Insurance Group Inc. The Jacksonville-based medical malpractice insurer had been trading at record-high levels in the mid-$50s recently... Hazleton, Wilkes-Barre surgeons in demand The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA - Sep 28, 2008 ...Those challenges include: commercial insurance and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements that don’t cover expenses, rapidly rising office overhead, expensive medical malpractice premiums and growing regulatory paperwork. Luzerne County also faces similar doctor and general surgeon recruiting troubles, and medical professionals in Luzerne and Lackawanna say they have a shortfall of specialists... Reform brings doctors to Texas Amarillo Globe-News, TX - Sep 28, 2008 ...In the five years since state lawmakers passed tort reform, doctors have flocked to the state as medical liability rates have dropped 25 percent... OHSU agrees to pay $38.5 million in claims The Register-Guard, Eugene, OR (Associated Press) - Sep 27, 2008 A federal judge said Friday that Oregon Health & Science University has settled six medical malpractice cases for $38.5 million after the Oregon Supreme Court lifted the cap on liability claims.... Doctor shortage topic at forum The Capital, Annapolis, MD - Sep 27, 2008 ...With the low payout rates they receive from state insurance carriers, malpractice liability premiums, the cost of living and the amount of debt most physicians shoulder from medical school loans, practicing doctors here are strapped, he said... Medical malpractice news
Doctors feel ill about their profession in Connecticut The Republican-American, Waterbury, CT - Sep 26, 2008 ..."Most doctors in the state are small-business owners. We have the same expenses as everyone else, but we have medical liability costs, too," she said. "I am one lawsuit away from having to leave the state and change practice." Thirty-three percent of physicians said liability premiums were "very burdensome."... Editorial: Taking doctors' pulse Hartford Courant, CT - Sep 26, 2008 ...Connecticut must find a way to retain physicians by reducing malpractice premiums and seeing that doctors who treat poor people have their costs covered, at least. This survey provides valuable data for health care reformers... Health-care reform topic of Troy forum The Record, Troy, NY - Sep 26, 2008 ...Liability and its ancillary costs are a huge part of the equation. Medical professionals are terrified of malpractice suits so they put you through a whole spectrum of tests even when something appears to be a minor malady... Medical malpractice news
Death rates drop at Pa. hospitals The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA - Sep 25, 2008 ...Republican state legislators have said they won't support reauthorization until Democrats support their plan for a state program that helps doctors pay their medical malpractice costs. Democrats refuse to renew the doctor aid until Republicans support their state-subsidized health insurance program for the uninsured... Ahead of the Bell: American Physicians Capital Forbes, NY (Associated Press) - Sep 25, 2008 ..."We continue to believe medical malpractice represents a relatively defensive industry, given the demand for physicians in any economic environment," ... US government wants VA lawsuit tossed Belleville News-Democrat, IL - Sep 25, 2008 ...Federal rules require that an administrative claim precede any lawsuit against the U.S., giving the government six months to consider - and perhaps settle - the matter... Medical malpractice news
Medical liability cap case declined Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX - Sep 24, 2008 The Texas Supreme Court has declined to hear a case that might have put to rest questions about whether the state cap on medical malpractice awards violates state constitutional rights... Survey: Connecticut doctors unhappy The Register Citizen, Torrington, CT (Associated Press) - Sep 24, 2008 ...The doctors complained that malpractice insurance costs too much, managed care is imposing too many restrictions and the cost of living and doing business in Connecticut is too high... Opinion - Marcia J. Eldred: Drucker wrong; doctors leaving over insurance The Phoenix, Phoenixville, PA - Sep 24, 2008 ...It is my understanding that doctors are leaving Pennsylvania for this very reason — the high cost of malpractice insurance which is directly related to the number of malpractice lawsuits — many of which some people would consider to be "frivolous."... Movie review: National Lampoon Presents Robodoc -- 1 out of 5 stars Orlando Sentinel, FL - Sep 24, 2008 ...A stumbling satire of a malpractice-marred medical profession, Robodoc has a sitcom-trained cast that should be able to land the one-liners... Medical malpractice news
ProAssurance says Chairman Derrill Crowe resigns Birmingham Business Journal, AL - Sep 23, 2008 Birmingham's ProAssurance Corp. said Dr. Derrill Crowe has resigned as non-executive chairman, citing personal reasons. The malpractice insurer said no successor has been named... UA to induct local leaders into Alabama Business Hall of Fame Birmingham Business Journal, AL - Sep 22, 2008 ...The association eventually merged with Michigan-based Professional Group to form ProAssurance, the fourth largest medical malpractice company in the United States with market capitalization is approaching $2 billion... Lawyer to docs: 'Sorry works' Lancaster New Era, PA - Sep 22, 2008 ...The primary point of the book is that if more doctors empathized with their patients' adverse medical outcomes, malpractice suits could be reduced dramatically... Medical malpractice news
Divided Pa. Legislature heads into homestretch The Phoenix, Phoenixville, PA (Associated Press) - Sep 22, 2008 ...Other loose ends include reworking the wiretapping law, reauthorizing the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council and releasing the subsidy that helps doctors pay their malpractice premiums... Editorial: Health care, roads, electricity are priority for state Legislature The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Sep 21, 2008 ...The governor also would tap a growing surplus in the state Mcare fund, which helps physicians pay for medical malpractice insurance. Republicans want to keep the Mcare fund and expanded coverage separate... Supporters of Texas malpractice damages cap are taking it to court Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX - Sep 21, 2008 ...If the court hears the case, the ruling could limit future challenges in state courts. Questions have been raised about whether the cap violates people’s rights to equal protection, due process and jury trials, among other constitutional provisions... 4 measures await voters in November Nevada Appeal, Carson City, NV (Associated Press) - Sep 21, 2008 ...and point to the 2004 election as an example of why reforms were needed. In that election, a group tied to the Nevada Trial Lawyers Association backed two measures that purported to roll back insurance rates but instead sought to prohibit limiting damage awards or attorneys fees in malpractice cases. Both failed... Opinion - John R. Graham: Albany must cut back on health care mandates The Buffalo News, NY - Sep 20, 2008 ...New York’s premiums are also high because of a dysfunctional medical tort system. Nationwide, one in eight doctors gets hit with a medical malpractice suit annually. In New York, it’s particularly bad. Even when adjusted for population, the state has among the highest losses from medical malpractice cases in the nation... Medical malpractice news
Choosing a doctor: Board certification important but misunderstood North American Press Syndicate, NY - Sep 19, 2008 ...While four out of 10 have researched a doctor online using a variety of Web sites, only one in four have checked to see if a doctor has ever been sued for malpractice or been disciplined by a regulatory board... Advisors from both parties explain ideas for health care reform Herald Tribune, Sarasota, FL - Sep 19, 2008 ...Doctors wanted to hear the candidates say more about improving what Medicare pays them, and about reducing malpractice lawsuits and judgments... Brooklyn Hospital's doctors want to cut ties with parent company The New York Sun, NY - Sep 19, 2008 ...In July, the hospital's parent company, Continuum Health Partners, announced plans to shutter the obstetrics department in an attempt to stem medical malpractice costs and avoid bankruptcy... Long Island College Hospital looks to cut executive pay to save services New York Daily News, NY - Sep 18, 2008 ...The hospital now loses more than $33 million, said the doctors. The budget gap could be closed by collecting a greater percentage of the bills, reducing medical malpractice and renegotiating insurance contracts... Medical malpractice news
Docs cite malpractice costs for move to Kansas The Hays Daily News, Hays, KS - Sep 18, 2008 ...Tomlinson said there are fewer malpractice lawsuits in Kansas and the state's cap on awards is $100,000 lower than Missouri's... State tells policyholders not to worry Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Sep. 18, 2008 ...About 75 insurers have become insolvent during that period, the most recent in April being MIIX Insurance Co., a New Jersey-based medical malpractice company. The largest single payout ever, Mr. Perrone said, was handled by PPCIGA -- P.I.C. Mutual Insurance Co. in 1998, a Pennsylvania medical malpractice specialist that triggered $221 million in claims... PIC Wisconsin parent discloses exposure to troubled institutions Triangle Business Journal, Milwaukee, WI - Sep 17, 2008 ...Physicians Insurance Company of Wisconsin Inc., or PIC Wisconsin, the state's largest medical liability insurer, was purchased by ProAssurance in 2006 in a deal valued at $100 million. Medical malpractice news
Docs urge renewal of Mcare The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA - Sep 17, 2008 Weighing in on a tangled health care debate, a group of doctors and hospital executives urged lawmakers Tuesday to restore a state program to reduce medical malpractice costs for doctors... Pennsylvania legislative highlights The Phoenix, Phoenixville, PA (Associated Press) - Sep 17, 2008 ...Lobbying groups for Pennsylvania doctors and hospitals urged lawmakers to pass a measure immediately to reauthorize a state program that helps doctors pay for malpractice insurance coverage... Editorial: Health care unfinished business The Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Sep 17, 2008 ...Also feeling the pinch are hospital executives and doctors who rallied in the Capitol yesterday. Their plea for the millions in malpractice insurance subsidies being delayed by the ABC standoff was self-interested, but it's one more reason for Senate leaders to get moving. Organization launches effort to push reform bills The Herald Standard, Uniontown, PA - Sep 17, 2008 ...The House press release points out that in March, the House passed legislation (Senate Bill 1137) known as Pennsylvania ABC. It would expand health care to at least 270,000 working adults, continue the state's commitment to helping doctors pay their medical malpractice premiums for 10 years and help small business employers who already offer their employees health care... Liability cap could be tested in deadly Metrolink crash Los Angeles Times, CA - Sep 17, 2008 ...Legal scholars, however, point to limits imposed on numerous categories of liability, including medical malpractice, airliner crashes, workers' compensation and defective pharmaceuticals in arguing that courts are unlikely to lift the railroads' liability limit... Solving the mystery of the missing doctors The Tampa Tribune, FL - Sep 17, 2008 ...That's because the Texas Legislature in 2003 passed a comprehensive package of tort reform designed to reduce the frequency of medical malpractice lawsuits, the size of malpractice payments, and physicians' insurance premiums... ProAssurance has $35M exposure to 'headline' firms MSN Money (Associated Press) - Sep 17, 2008 ...Medical liability insurer ProAssurance said Wednesday it had roughly $34.6 million in exposure through its ownership of stock and debt in Lehman Brothers, AIG, Washington Mutual, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac... Medical malpractice news
State aid for malpractice insurance up in air Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Sep 16, 2008 A rebate program that helps Pennsylvania doctors pay for costly malpractice insurance appears to be on life support, but doctors are scheduled to rally in Harrisburg's Capitol rotunda today in hopes that the state Legislature and the governor's office don't pull the plug... The tort bar's comeback Wall Street Journal, NY - Sep 16, 2008 ...the lawsuit industry is counting on discontent this fall to help flip a few more legislatures and governorships to pro-tort majorities, laying the groundwork for their proposals to become law. Tort reformers will have to push back. Gallbladder complications fall after work limits for surgical residents Wall Street Journal, NY, Health Blog - Sep 16, 2008 ...The upshot: after the shorter work weeks, fewer patients had surgical injuries to the bile ducts, a problem that’s one of most frequent triggers for malpractice suits.... Editorial: Bonuses at OHSU The Oregonian, Portland, OR - Sep 16, 2008 ...First, OHSU is in cutting mode, trying to align its aspirations with financial reality. Second, the budget is in flux because of ongoing legal limbo over malpractice payouts. The university is laying off up to 300 people... Death rate in state prisons declining Ventura County Star, Camarillo, CA - Sep 16, 2008 ...The judge appointed a receiver to take over medical care after finding in 2005 that too many inmates were dying of malpractice or neglect. Medical malpractice news
Lawmakers running out of time to deal with 3 key health care issues Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Sep 15, 2008 ...The impasse over whether to extend health insurance to 275,000 uninsured adults, which pits House Democrats and Gov. Ed Rendell against state Senate Republican leaders, also is prolonging a delay in getting financial aid to Pennsylvania doctors to help them pay malpractice insurance premiums... Small patients, big consequences in medical errors The Gadsden Times, Gadsdend, AL - Sep 15, 2008 ...Misdiagnosis is also common and can lead to serious complications or death. A study of malpractice lawsuits involving children visiting emergency departments found that meningitis, appendicitis and broken arms were the most common misdiagnosed conditions... Doctors laud 5 years of malpractice relief El Paso Times, TX - Sep 14, 2008 ...Doctors here and across Texas said dollar limits on medical malpractice lawsuits put into state law five years ago have made a big difference in how they practice medicine... Health cost containment panel may close down Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA - Sep 13, 2008 ...The agency has been caught in the middle of a political feud. That's because the bill to reauthorize the agency included a controversial extension of a program that helps doctors pay for malpractice insurance... Editorial: Health issues need attention The Citizen's Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA - Sep 13, 2008 ...Under a program valued by the state’s physicians, taxpayers pick up a portion of their second-tier malpractice liability coverage by paying all or part of their premiums into the state-run Mcare fund. That fund has a substantial surplus, which Rendell wants to tap in order to provide the expanded health-care coverage from low-income workers... When it comes to OHSU executive salaries, it's always good times The Oregonian, Portland, OR - Sep 13, 2008 ...OHSU's emergency austerity budget came in response to an Oregon Supreme Court decision that overturned a state limit on liability awards in civil lawsuits. The cap previously shielded OHSU from big malpractice payouts... Editorial: Finding a tort cap that fits The Oregonian, Portland, OR - Sep 13, 2008 ...While the current cap of $200,000 isn't unreasonable for most damage suits, in 2007 the Oregon Supreme Court blew the whistle on the cap, as applied to medical malpractice cases... Agency's chief diagnoses ills of health care across Illinois The News-Gazette, Champaign, IL - Sep 13, 2008 ...Prior to 2005, 26 out of Illinois' 102 counties were without an obstetrician to deliver babies because the malpractice liability insurance rates on that specialty have been particularly high. Less than 30 percent (compared to 70 percent in many other states) of Illinois' medical school graduates remained in the state... Medical malpractice news
Collaborative law seen as divorce court alternative Spokane Journal of Business, WA - Sep 12, 2008 ...So far, collaborative law has been used here primarily in divorce cases, but attorneys say they see potential for the methodology to be used in other legal disputes, including those involving probate or trust cases, and medical malpractice... Opinion - Greg Stagliano, Esq.: Leave 'wedge politics' out of maternity-care debate Delaware County Times, Primos, PA - Sep 11, 2008 ...Professional liability insurers know medical-malpractice cases have dropped dramatically in the state. In 2007, medical-malpractice filings in Pennsylvania were down 40.8 percent from the base years 2000-2002... Will new liability caps reduce OHSU budget cuts Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland, OR - Sep 11, 2008 Now that Oregon Health and Science University and the state’s trial lawyers have agreed on new liability caps, workers at OHSU want to know if the school will continue with its lay-offs and tuition hikes... Medical malpractice news
OHSU, Oregon trial lawyers agree on lawsuit cap The Oregonian, Portland, OR - Sep 11, 2008 ...Their recommendation would raise the current liability cap of $200,000 to $1.5 million. The agreement also would eliminate the $100,000 cap on intangible harms, such as extreme pain -- the issue that derailed negotiations in 2007... Hospital CEO defends closing of obstetrics The Chestnut Hill Local, Philadelphia, PA - Sep 11, 2008 ...When Chestnut Hill Hospital closes the obstetrics unit on Nov. 7, it will become the 15th regional hospital to take such action since 1997. Turkel cites high-tech equipment costs and six-figure malpractice insurance premiums among the causes... Rendell urges Legislature to add fall session days The Patriot-News, Harrisburg, PA (Associated Press) - Sep 11, 2008 ...Rendell said a surplus in a tobacco-tax-funded account that helps doctors pay malpractice premiums has grown so large that the state can insure about 200,000 more adults in the first year, and about 400,000 adults within three years... Hospital lawsuit questioned Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, SD - Sep 11, 2008 ...Attorney General Larry Long has declined to intervene in a medical malpractice lawsuit that could challenge the constitutionality of the state's tort limit... Electronic health records beneficial for all WCSH-TV, Portland, ME (Associated Press) - Sep 11, 2008 ...Better care outcomes for patients- Increased recognition of disease outbreaks- Improved quality of practice life- Reductions in malpractice insurance costs... Medical malpractice news
Rendell urges lawmakers to add fall session days Philadelphia Inquirer, PA (Associated Press) - Sep 10, 2008 ...Rendell says he thinks a surplus in a tobacco-tax funded account to help doctors pay malpractice premiums is so large that the state can insure about 200,000 more adults in the first year... Editorial: Baby blues Philadelphia Daily News, PA - Sep 10, 2008 ...15 hospitals in the region have shut down their maternity units since 1997. They cite a combination of high malpractice insurance and low insurance reimbursements that makes the service too expensive... Business can take heart that insurance premium increases will be less than in years past Kansas City Business Journal, MO - Sep 10, 2008 ...Fear of malpractice lawsuits has doctors ordering more tests than they might otherwise, and patients request additional tests if a definitive diagnosis wasn’t made the first time... Lawsuits could force hospitals to disclose doctors' status The Daily News, Memphis, TN - Sep 10, 2008 ...“This ruling ultimately is important because plaintiffs’ lawyers are trying to hold the hospitals liable for any type of negligence or malpractice by a physician and that imposes additional, essentially unknown, amounts of liability on the hospital,” Shanker said... Medical malpractice news
State representative takes aim at medical expenses Standard Speaker, Hazleton, PA - Sep 9, 2008 ...The council has been operating under executive order since the spring legislative session ended in early July. A bill to reauthorize the council is tied up in the legislative dispute over extending health-care coverage to uninsured adults and the renewal of a state malpractice insurance subsidy for physicians... Texas licenses a record number of doctors Dallas Morning News, TX - Sep 9, 2008 ...In a report to be released today, the Texas Medical Association makes the case that the surge can be attributed to the medical malpractice lawsuit limits passed by the Legislature in 2003... Editorial: Don't cut corners on prenatal care Asbury Park Press, NJ - Sep 9, 2008 ...Due to high malpractice premiums, there is a problem keeping obstetricians in New Jersey and attracting new ones. And financial troubles have prompted hospitals to close adjunct clinics that once offered prenatal care... Part I: Medical device payments to doctors draw scrutiny Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN - Sep 8, 2008 ...The complaint alleged that the surgical procedure used by Polly was "inherently high risk" and caused trauma to her spinal cord. But it was more than a standard malpractice complaint. It also claimed that Polly's consulting arrangement with... Part II: For companies courting surgeons, how far is too far? Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN - Sep 8, 2008 ...The case, though egregious and rare, provides a window on how far some medical device companies allegedly are willing to go to court influential doctors... Medical malpractice news
Editorial: Medical malpractice Winston-Salem Journal, NC - Sep 8, 2008 ...The state's physicians are nervous, and that anxiety is understandable. Not all malpractice suits are equal. Sometimes, the insurance companies that defend doctors prefer to settle with the patient because doing so will cost less than the legal fees involved in a malpractice defense... Editorial: 5 years of tort reform: Lone Star success story American Medical News, IL - Sep 7, 2008 ...Texas physicians have witnessed a 25% overall drop in liability rates since 2003, the state insurance department says. For the first time, the state's largest medical liability carrier, Texas Medical Liability Trust, saw a 50% reduction in lawsuit filings, this from 2003 to 2008... City eyes closure's effect on OB care Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Sep 6, 2008 ...It will be the 15th hospital in the region to shutter its maternity ward since 1997. Hospitals have said that a combination of low insurance payments, especially from Medicaid, and high malpractice insurance expenses make obstetrics a money loser... Medicaid reimbursements reduced 5% Reno Gazette-Journal, NV - Sep 6, 2008 ...At Friday's hearing, division officials said Medicaid won't be paying for glasses for adults and seniors, and a 28 percent increase in rates for obstetric services, ordered in 2002 when a medical malpractice crisis hit, will be erased... Doctors Co. files for 18.2% average dip in Golden State medical malpractice rates Milwaukee Business Journal, WI - Sep 5, 2008 The Doctors Co., one of the nation’s largest medical malpractice insurers, has filed with state regulators for an average 18.2 percent rate reduction affecting California physicians, officials said Thursday... Medical malpractice news
Ailing Sacred Heart cuts staff by 5% The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Sep 5, 2008 ...But hospitals are struggling with the high cost of medical liability insurance, work-force expenses and the difficulty of retaining physicians, which also drives costs up, he said... Damage cap credited for drop in Texas malpractice premiums LegalNewsliine, Chicago, IL - Sep 5, 2008 Thanks to a tort reform law in Texas, physicians in the Lone Star State will have reduced liability premiums, officials said this week... Opinion - Van Allen: Looming health-care crisis Washington Times, DC - Sep 5, 2008 ...Last year, for example, the Massachusetts Medical Society found that more than one-third of doctors in the Bay State were considering abandoning the profession because of high stress, increasing administrative burdens, skyrocketing malpractice insurance costs, and the constant threat of lawsuits - conditions affecting physicians across the country... Medical malpractice news
Another maternity unit closing in Philadelphia Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Sep 4, 2008 ...Since 1997, 15 hospitals in the region have closed their maternity units. Most say the combination of high malpractice insurance and low insurance reimbursements makes the service a money loser. With Chestnut Hill's unit closed, only seven hospitals in Philadelphia will offer obstetrical care... Bad medicine or bad justice? How two respected Gary physicians wound up doing a combined 20 years in federal prison Chicago Tribune, IL - Sep 4, 2008 ...Trying to ease pain and suffering is what doctors are supposed to do. Yet, the explosion of prescription-drug abuse in the last several years has blurred the line between what might be criminal conduct, a case of malpractice or, more innocently, a simple difference of medical opinion... A face not even a plastic surgeon could love The Gadsden Times, Gadsden, AL - Sep 4, 2008 ...One such site, which was created by a former patient in 2005 who was suing a facial plastic surgeon in California for malpractice, detailed how she thought her brow lift and cheek implants left her looking permanently surprised. The doctor filed a cross complaint to have the Web site dismantled, but a California court ruled in favor of the patient... Medical malpractice news
Editorial: Boost coverage before election The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA - Sep 2, 2008 ...Unlike many of the major issues left on the table, the health care initiative has a viable framework and, more important, a reliable funding source. For five years now, tax revenue has been used to help pay all or part of physicians’ premiums for the state-run malpractice liability insurance program known as Mcare... Medical liability reform: reducing the number of frivolous malpractice lawsuits Business TN magazine, Nashville, TN - Sep 2, 2008 ...a partner at law firm Waller Lansden, who co-manages the firm's Trial and Appellate Litigation practice and is not a member of the TAJ, says that while she believes the law, which goes into effect Oct. 1, will ultimately reduce the number of medical malpractice lawsuits, it may also have unintended consequences... TX may change medical malpractice law FierceHealthcare, DC - Sep 2, 2008 ...Now, however, opponents of the cap have taken their case to federal court, asking to have it declared unconstitutional. They're arguing, among other things, that the Texas law violates patients' jury trial and due process rights... Opinion - Alex Newman: Examining healthcare The New American Magazine - Sep 2, 2008 ...Others support the creation of a "national healthcare system." Another popular proposal would limit the amount paid out in malpractice suits - 69 percent of Americans surveyed support that idea... Prescription for delay Creative Loafing, Charlotte, NC - Sep 2, 2008 ...With the Rules Review Commission's approval of the malpractice reporting rules last month, the plan would normally have taken effect Sept. 1. But state law requires rules must go back to the legislature if the review commission receives only ten objections. This rule elicited at least 50... Medical malpractice news
Editorial: Malpractice mess The Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY - Sep 2, 2008 The one-year freeze on medical malpractice rates gives much-needed relief to New York doctors. But it just puts off a long-term solution to a problem that threatens to destabilize the state's health care system... Opinion - Travis Akin: Legal reform would help Illinois' economy St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Sep 2, 2008 ...If we truly want to create a strong economy and a world-class health care system in Illinois, we need to improve Illinois' litigation climate. We have seen what legal reform has done for the medical community. Imagine what meaningful legal reforms could do for Illinois' economy. Opinion - State Rep. Tom Killion: Maternity care quality in Pa. at crisis point Delaware County Times, Primos, PA - Sep 1, 2008 ...Similarly, Gov. Ed Rendell must stop using the Mcare abatement program - which once provided financial support to doctors to help alleviate the burden of our state's unusually high medical malpractice rates - as a political bargaining chip... Medical malpractice news
Illinois economic growth ranks low The State Journal-Register, Springfield, IL - Aug 31, 2008 ...Of the state's D- minus grade (and 49th rank) for regulatory environment, Whitely said he was "disappointed, but not surprised." Included in the category are things like medical malpractice costs, health-care mandates, business liability insurance costs and the fairness of the state's civil lawsuit system... Law could reveal malpractice payments The Star, Shelby, NC - Aug 30, 2008 ...In about a year, people across North Carolina will be able to go online and see whether their doctor or a doctor they're considering seeing has made malpractice payments, if rules developed by the N.C. Medical Board are implemented... Editorial: Frozen malpractice rates: only a reprieve, not reform The Journal News, White Plains, NY - Aug 30, 2008 ...The new panel's efforts must result in a balance of solidifying patient rights; reforming the tort system; enhancing physician accountability; providing reasonably priced malpractice coverage; and ensuring that the malpractice insurance industry survives. Anything less will result in fleeting relief for one sector at the expense of the others. Opinion - James McGreevy: Needed: General surgeons in rural Utah; maybe it's time to take a creative approach Salt Lake Tribune, UT - Aug 30, 2008 ...The American College of Surgeons, of which I am a member, is working with Congress to expand medical school enrollments and residencies, develop programs to train general surgeons to work in rural communities, fix counterproductive reimbursement systems and limit medical malpractice liability claims. These changes are vitally important to successfully turning this dangerous situation around... Clinical trials Orange County Business Journal, Irvine, CA - Aug 30, 2008 Drug and device companies, as well as the investigating doctors and facilities, generally carry malpractice and liability insurance in case things go wrong, although clinical trial participants sign waivers that are designed to release liability... |
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