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Archives
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Supreme Court rejects state's claim to JUA fund The Citizen, Laconia, NH - Jan 29, 2010 ...Fitzgerald said that within 10 days the state can ask for a "re-argument, but then it's over," explaining that the New Hampshire Supreme Court "decided this solely on state constitutional grounds," which means the matter cannot be brought to the U.S. Supreme Court... Multimillion dollar ruling saps budget Concord Monitor, NH - Jan 29, 2010 ...In a 3-2 decision that took 47 pages, the court found that by taking the money the state unconstitutionally interfered with a contract between the Joint Underwriting Association, which administers the fund, and the fund's policyholders... Supreme Court ruling widens revenue gap Nashua Telegraph, Hudson, NH - Jan 29, 2010 ...In a strongly worded dissent, Justices Linda Dalianis and James Duggan wrote the JUA was creature of the state and the justices should have deferred to the Legislature’s discretion to withdraw any amount over what was needed to keep the JUA solvent... Editorial: The JUA raid: What's the next scheme? Union Leader, Manchester, NH - Jan 29, 2010 ...Last year, Gov. John Lynch and the Democratic majority in Concord attempted to confiscate $110 million from the Joint Underwriting Association, a private medical malpractice insurance fund, to fill a hole in the state budget. Not surprisingly, the state Supreme Court ruled the seizure of those funds unconstitutional yesterday... Another reach across the aisle Baltimore Sun, MD - Jan 29, 2010 ...For example, the administration bowed to a powerful Democratic special interest, the trial-lawyer lobby, and refused to make significant changes in medical liability as part of its health care overhaul plan. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that a Republican proposal to limit medical malpractice costs would save taxpayers $54 billion over 10 years... Republicans say they met Obama challenge for better health plan BusinessWeek - Jan 29, 2010 ...It would limit medical-liability lawsuits by setting up state panels to review cases and make judgments... Maryland high court upholds medical liability cap American Medical News, Chicago, IL - Jan 28, 2010 An attempt to undo Maryland's liability cap failed before the state's highest court in a ruling physicians say preserved not only the law but also access to care... Medical malpractice news
Obama bucks up Democrats on health care New York Times, NY (Associated Press) - Jan 28, 2010 ...Republicans responded by saying they did have ideas, such as limiting medical malpractice awards, even as they rejected Obama's approach... State, health groups await high court ruling The Citizen, Laconia, NH - Jan 28, 2010 This morning the New Hampshire Supreme Court is expected to release a ruling on whether the state can use $110 million in surplus from a fund that underwrites medical malpractice insurance... High court decides malpractice fund issue today Union Leader, Manchester, NH - Jan 28, 2010 The New Hampshire Supreme Court will answer a $110 million question today on whether the state can tap the reserves of a medical malpractice fund... Editorial: Act to retain state's doctors The Gloucester County Times, Woodbury, NJ - Jan 28, 2010 ...Specifically, the doctors who left cited (besides family reasons) high living costs, business taxes, and the price of liability and malpractice premiums... Editorial: How about bipartisan reform of health care? The Sheboygan Press, WI - Jan 28, 2010 ...But Republicans have proposed reasonable alternatives, including allowing people to shop for health insurance outside of their own state and tort reform on malpractice claims... Obama tries to salvage health care bill BusinessWeek (Associated Press) - Jan 27, 2010 ...Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Republicans will resist expanding the role of the federal government in health care. He called for limits on jury awards in medical malpractice cases and allowing insurance companies to sell coverage across state lines... Medical malpractice news
Effort urged to retain doctors in New Jersey Courier-Post, Cherry Hill, NJ - Jan 27, 2010 ...It said malpractice lawsuits and a hostile work environment for doctors may be key reasons why the Garden State loses some of its most promising medical school graduates... N.J. faces shortage of doctors caused by 'morale problem' among physicians The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ - Jan 26, 2010 ...Task force members said every state suffers from a physician shortage. But New Jersey ranks 48th, behind Florida and Pennsylvania, for infamously high medical malpractice insurance costs... Hoyer sees Obama pushing for comprehensive health-care overhaul BusinessWeek - Jan 26, 2010 ...A group of 25 House Democrats led by New Jersey Representative William Pascrell said they were pushing for measures to address rising medical costs, insurance practices and medical malpractice concerns... Medical malpractice news
Law Review: A prescription on health-care reform Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Jan 26, 2010 ...He says this is what Duane Morris did during Pennsylvania's medical-malpractice crisis several years ago. The firm established an affiliated medical-malpractice insurance company in which doctors were given ownership interests and encouraged to settle malpractice claims early... GOP struggles for consensus on health care National Public Radio - Jan 26, 2010 ...But it's also important, Nichols says, for federal officials to "recognize that states are the place where medical malpractice jurisdiction lies, and therefore it's better to have local medical communities in the states work this out."... Industry execs diagnose health care bills' effectiveness The Virginian-Pilot, Hampton Roads, VA - Jan 26, 2010 ...The Senate bill also provides for grants to states to develop more effective medical liability systems. But officials with local providers and insurance companies said they would have liked to see more attention to “tort reform”... Editorial: Doomsayers take note: Voters still deserve health reform The Boston Globe, MA - Jan 26, 2010 ...One concession to bipartisanship that Democrats should have made is a commitment to medical malpractice reform - a good idea on its merits. Democrats should now get together with Republicans and design a separate bill to change a dysfunctional tort system... Opinion - Daniel Oliver: Three smooth stones The American Spectator, Arlington, VA - Jan 26, 2010 ...Propose a simple (one-page?) health care bill: a bill that fixes one or at most two problems with the current system. The bill could limit damages from medical malpractice suits, and put federal money into state high-risk pools... Medical malpractice news
White House to take new shot at health care reform despite Massachusetts setback, aide says New York Daily News, NY - Jan 25, 2010 ...Republicans, meanwhile - led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee - insisted their party was open to negotiating. He said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that Obama should consider some of the GOP's health care prescriptions, like limiting medical malpractice lawsuits, letting residents buy health insurance across state lines... Democrats will regroup before trying to salvage health overhaul BusinessWeek - Jan 25, 2010 ...A group of 25 House Democrats led by New Jersey Representative William Pascrell is pushing for passage of a series of smaller bills to address costs, insurance practices and medical malpractice concerns... Obama urged to focus on jobs Courier-Post, Cherry Hill, NJ - Jan 25, 2010 ...Democrats should incorporate the Tuesday Group's plan, which would limit medical malpractice awards, bar insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions and allow people to purchase cheaper insurance policies across state lines, Lance said... Editorial: N.H. Dems try to play it safe; GOP won't allow it Portsmouth Herald, NH - Jan 25, 2010 ...The JUA is a state-run medical malpractice fund established in 1986. The court heard arguments in October and is expected to rule shortly. A rule against the state would increase the budget gap by another $110 million... McCain nudges Obama toward his party's health plans New York Times, NY - Jan 24, 2010 ...said on the CBS news program “Face the Nation” that President Obama should sit down with Republican leaders and begin adopting some of their ideas for improving the nation’s health care system such as overhauling medical malpractice lawsuits... White House narrows targets on health deal Wall Street Journal, NY - Jan 24, 2010 ...Malpractice is one area where Democrats could show more flexibility in any revamped legislation. Reducing unnecessary lawsuits is an area that resonates with voters, regardless of party affiliation... Editorial: Massachusetts' message is to slow down Statesman Journal, Salem, OR - Jan 24, 2010 ...Tort reform is sorely needed. Congress will have a hard time agreeing on the approach; but in the interim, Congress can endorse "best practices" guidelines that provide a defense against questionable malpractice lawsuits... Opinion - Dr. Bill Choby: The growing cost of health care The Tribune Democrat, Johnstown, PA - Jan 22, 2010 ...These sums are often wildly irrational– the cost of which are passed onto all doctors with unpredictably higher malpractice insurance premiums... Medical malpractice news
Analysis - Paring back health care not so easy New York Times, NY (Associated Press) - Jan 22, 2010 ...Alternatives to medical malpractice litigation also could yield savings. The Congressional Budget Office, reversing a previous analysis, says curbs on jury awards in malpractice cases could save the government $54 billion over 10 years by reducing defensive medicine... Health-care bill supporters prepare for longer road to passage Bloomberg.com - Jan 22, 2010 ...A group of 25 House Democrats is pushing for passage of smaller bills to address rising medical costs, insurance practices and medical malpractice concerns... Democrats drop health plan in face of voter anger Washington Examiner, DC - Jan 22, 2010 ..."Both of those bills, as they stand now, are dead," said Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., after a caucus meeting with panicked House Democrats, who characterized Brown's win and the message it sent as their party's Hurricane Katrina... Berks stakeholders weigh in on reform Reading Eagle, Reading, PA - Jan 22, 2010 ...I'd also like to see a fix for the medical liability system and for the broken Medicare reimbursement system for physicians."... Editorial: Election didn't change need for health reform The State Journal-Register, Springfield, IL - Jan 22, 2010 ...Medical malpractice reform, the GOP’s pet health-care reform idea, would save the government $41 billion over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That’s in addition to the $132 billion that would be saved under the Senate Democratic bill as it exists today... Insurers now focus of Democrats' health talks Wall Street Journal, NY - Jan 21, 2010 ...A second bill would remove the antitrust exemption enjoyed by the health-insurance industry, and a third would attempt to relieve the burden doctors face from medical-malpractice lawsuits, an idea popular among Republicans... Opinion - Carolyn B. Lamm: Health courts: Adding injustice to injury The Daily Citizen, Dalton, GA - Jan 21, 2010 ...The American Bar Association firmly supports the integrity of the jury system, the independence of judges, and the right of consumers to receive compensation for their injuries – without any arbitrary caps on damages or denial of rights to a jury trial... Medical malpractice news
Experts debate the fate of health-care bill Philadelphia Inquirer, PA - Jan 21, 2010 ...Reichman, a plastic surgeon, says he supports an overhaul, but he wants a bill that includes changes in malpractice rules, reductions in administrative costs, changes in Medicare-payment rules for doctors, and more money for primary care... Editorial: Democrats have not made case Wichita Eagle, KS - Jan 21, 2010 ...The House Republican plan offered last fall didn't count. Though it had some good ideas, including medical malpractice reform, it would have increased the number of uninsured to 52 million people by 2019 and increased the deficit... Opinion - Peter Morici: The message from Massachusetts Statesman Journal, Salem, OR - Jan 21, 2010 ...Real reform would reduce drug and administrative costs to those in other advanced countries, like Germany or Holland, and end waste imposed by malpractice suits those countries don't endure... Obama weighs paring goals for health bill New York Times, NY - Jan 20, 2010 ...as well as aid for small businesses for health costs and possible steps to restrict malpractice lawsuits. But as Mr. Obama noted on ABC, a pared-down package imposing restrictions on insurers might make coverage unaffordable, which is one reason he prefers a broad overhaul... Editorial: After Massachusetts Chicago Tribune, IL - Jan 20, 2010 ...And they'd control health costs in part by reining in the medical malpractice system that raises insurance premiums and forces doctors to order tests to protect themselves from lawsuits... Editorial: Health reform Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City, UT - Jan 20, 2010 ...Among them is the government insurance plan -- the public option -- that would compete with private insurance policies and help control costs. Another is the repeal of the anti-trust exemption for health care insurers and medical malpractice insurers... Medical malpractice news
Wis. Senate votes to expand malpractice claims The Janesville Gazette, WI (Associated Press) - Jan 20, 2010 ...The bill approved Tuesday allows parents to sue for pain and suffering damages if their adult-aged children die as a result of medical negligence. Similarly, adult-aged children could sue for damages when their parents are victims of malpractice under the bill... Florida hospitals must tell patients of lawsuit limits Insurance Journal, CA - Jan 20, 2010 ...The justices last week ruled hospitals that fail to do so can then be sued even if a patient's doctor provided a notice required by a law designed to reduce malpractice cases against obstetricians... Missouri Supreme Court hears challenge to malpractice limits Insurance Journal, CA - Jan 19, 2010 Missouri's top judges questioned Jan. 14 whether a 2005 law limiting medical malpractice lawsuits is being wrongly applied to people retroactively and is discriminating against the spouses of those injured... Medical malpractice suits drop sharply in Tennessee The Clinical Advisor, New York, NY - Jan 19, 2010 ...In the year that the new bill has been in place, the number of medical malpractice suits filed in Tennessee has dropped by 60%. However, this drop in cases has not yet been reflected in the cost of malpractice insurance for health professional... Annual report highlights six "judicial hellholes" The Clinical Advisor, New York, NY - Jan 19, 2010 ...South Florida, known for medical malpractice claims, tobacco lawsuits and large monetary verdicts, this jurisdiction has some of the highest medical malpractice rates in the country... Tort reform hangs in the balance in Georgia The Clinical Advisor, New York, NY - Jan 19, 2010 Lawyers and legislators are anxiously awaiting decisions on two cases in Georgia that may affect the state's tort reforms... Medical malpractice news
Malpractice system survives healthcare overhaul intact Los Angeles Times, CA - Jan 19, 2010 ...Critics, especially Republicans and doctors, had long complained that the medical malpractice system showered huge fees on attorneys, did little for ordinary Americans and added billions of dollars in costs... Opinion - Jon Healey: What does it mean to 'start over' in healthcare reform? Los Angeles Times, CA - Jan 19, 2010 ...Malpractice insurance premiums have risen sharply over the past 20 years, so they certainly are a factor in healthcare inflation. But it's not clear that damage caps will rein them in... Opinion - Matthew P. McCauley: Reforms reduced cost of liability insurance, and lowered cost of care St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Jan 19, 2010 ...As a result of the 2005 reforms, the cost of professional liability (medical malpractice) insurance for doctors in Missouri is down from the punishing levels reached early in the last decade. Doctors no longer fear that the cost of insurance will force them to limit the sorts of treatments they provide or consider relocating... Medical malpractice news
GOP’s plans change little for uninsured, analyses show The Columbus Dispatch, OH – Jan 18, 2010 …In particular, they have said they want to limit the financial damages from medical malpractice lawsuits (as has already been done in Ohio), which they insist impose huge costs on physicians and hospitals… Opinion - Rebecca J. Patchin, MD: Health reform package still needs some improvement American Medical News, Chicago, IL - Jan 18, 2010 ...The AMA will work to secure final language that authorizes a grant program for a broad array of state alternative medical liability reforms. We will work to strike language allowing patients to opt out of the alternative liability program... Opinion – Dr. Steven M. Malkin: Supreme Court must stand up for reform Daily Herald, Arlington Heights, IL – Jan 18, 2010 …The law worked quickly to rectify the situation, with numerous reports of much-needed medical specialists - neurosurgeons, OB/GYN and orthopedic surgeons - returning to practice here, many citing liability reform as a primary reason for choosing Illinois… Garrett’s bills to go to state Assembly Cumberland Times-News, Cumberland, MD – Jan 17, 2010 …If a doctor delivers more than 30 per year, the cost of medical malpractice insurance can increase by about $100,000 because of insurance stipulations. Previously, legislation was in place that subsidized the gap between the general practitioners’ malpractice insurance costs and the increase, but that has expired… Angry plastic-surgery patients vent online; doctors on damage control New York Magazine - Jan 17, 2010 ...Cosmetic surgeons are quite familiar with difficult patients and malpractice cases; a few years back, a man who had undergone a facelift was so unhappy with the results that he took to picketing outside the office of his surgeon... Medical malpractice news
Medical fund transfer considered Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, WI - Jan 15, 2010 The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether it was legal for lawmakers to use $200 million from a medical malpractice fund to help balance the state budget... Antitrust exemption targeted Denver Daily News, CO - Jan 15, 2010 U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is pushing for a compromise agreement on health care reform to include language that would repeal antitrust exemptions for the health insurance industry... Missouri Supreme Court hears arguments in medical malpractice limits case St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Jan 15, 2010 ...How seven Missouri Supreme Court judges answer that question could decide whether a 2005 law that limited damage awards in medical malpractice lawsuits is overturned... Opinion - Paul Carpenter: Tort tiff generates varied views The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Jan 15, 2010 ...There is no middle ground when it comes to tort reform, a largely hapless crusade seeking to put a lid on runaway litigation... Insurer antitrust exemption repeal gets push from 18 Dem senators National Underwriter, Hoboken, NJ - Jan 14, 2010 ...Meanwhile, as part of the insurers lobbying effort against such a move, the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) placed an advertisement in the tabloid newspaper published in Washington, Politico, warning that including medical liability insurers in such legislation could lead “us into another medical malpractice crisis across the country.”... Oregon seeks $300,000 tort reform grant The Lund Report, Portland, OR - Jan 14, 2010 ...They’re on a quick timeline to submit the grant, which is due by Jan. 20. If successful, their work will start in 2011. However they face stiff competition since only 12 grants will be awarded nationwide... Medical malpractice news
Political eyes on Supreme Court medical malpractice case today St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Jan 14, 2010 The Missouri Supreme Court today will hear arguments in a case that could have far-reaching political implications. The case, filed by Mary and James Klotz of Arnold, seeks to overturn a 2005 law that set a hard cap of $350,000 for non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits... Obama seeks to resolve lawmakers' differences over health care BusinessWeek - Jan 14, 2010 ...“There is simply no reason for health insurance and medical malpractice insurance companies to be exempt from federal laws prohibiting price fixing, bid rigging and market allocation,” the senators wrote... After learning of campaign donations, Dems turn up heat on insurance companies The Hill, Washington, DC - Jan 13, 2010 ...“While there are divergent views on the best way to introduce choice and competition into health insurance market, we can surely agree that health and medical malpractice insurers should not be allowed to collude to set prices and allocate markets,” the lawmakers wrote... House OKs med malpractice panel New Hampshire Business Review, Manchester, NH - Jan 13, 2010 The New Hampshire House passed a bill Tuesday that would allow those in front of a medical malpractice screening panel to give “offers of proof” – documentary evidence – about the charges, as opposed to providing the testimony of live witnesses, in order to reduce costs... Maryland Court of Appeals moves to limit medical malpractice awards Baltimore Business Journal, MD - Jan 13, 2010 The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled to preserve limits on medical malpractice awards, overturning the decision of a Montgomery County Circuit Court... Medical malpractice news
Massachusetts election has Democrats on edge Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA - Jan 13, 2010 ...He's advocating traditional GOP prescriptions like allowing consumers to buy insurance across state lines, medical malpractice reform and the elimination of state mandates... Opinion - George Voinovich: Reform bill does little to fix health care system problems Zanesville TImes Recorder, OH - Jan 13, 2010 ...Frankly, there are a number of incremental things we could do today to make real improvements to our system. These include: eliminating pre-existing exclusions and lifetime caps on health insurance; making it easier for small businesses to group together to reduce their health care costs; passing medical liability reform... State court of appeals affirms malpractice caps The Gazette, Gaithersburg, MD - Jan 12, 2010 ...His decision, in effect, invalidated caps that were part of a 2004 special session of the General Assembly called to resolve a crisis in medical malpractice. Insurance rates were climbing and doctors were threatening to leave Maryland... Okla. GOP lawmakers tout pro-business agenda ABC News (Associated Press) - Jan 12, 2010 ...The decision to tackle workers' compensation comes after Democratic Gov. Brad Henry signed Republican-backed legislation in May that made sweeping changes to Oklahoma's civil justice system to block frivolous lawsuits, and reduce medical malpractice and product liability insurance rates... Opinion - David M. Herszenhorn: Why does health care cost so much? New York Times, NY - Jan 12, 2010 ...Republicans, with good reason, argue that there is no meaningful effort in the legislation to control one item they say adds cost to the system: medical malpractice lawsuits... Medical malpractice news
Trial bar seeks to expand liability, end arbitration clauses LegalNewsline, Chicago, IL - Jan 12, 2010 ...The Washington-based group announced its 2010 legislative agenda as it nears a major victory on Capitol Hill. This year, the trial bar was able to keep tort reform out of the proposed federal health care overhaul being crafted by Congress... Trial bar tries to end 'forced arbitration' The Hill, Washington, DC - Jan 11, 2010 ...A bigger win for the trial bar relates to something that hasn’t happened. Democrats did not include substantive restrictions on medical malpractice awards, although the Congressional Budget Office found limits would save as much as $54 billion over a decade... Editorial: Medical malpractice "reform" is about gaming the system St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - Jan 11, 2010 ...In Klotz v. Shapiro, the court is weighing a challenge to legislation enacted in 2005 that imposes some of the toughest procedural and legal restrictions in the nation on medical negligence lawsuits... Opinion - Rebecca Logan: Backroom health deal hurts contractors Anchorage Daily News, AK - Jan 11, 2010 ...Health care reform that is fair to everyone should include medical malpractice reform that will lower the cost of health insurance for everyone... Medical malpractice news
Debate behind closed doors The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register, WV - Jan 10, 2010 ...But Capito noted there are "other things" she would like to see addressed in the bill. These include allowing the public to purchase health insurance across state lines and the consideration of tort reform as a cost savings... Opinion - Paul Carpenter: Are reforms for lawyers justified? The Morning Call, Allentown, PA - Jan 10, 2010 ...Another addressed the key point of his second letter, which cited an item in the New Jersey Law Journal about ''how outrageous doctors can be.'' (At the moment, the main lobbying for tort reform is from medicos, putting them and the legal profession at bitter odds.)... Opinion - John Ratkowitz, Esq.: Juries are smart enough to decide malpractice awards The TImes of Trenton, NJ - Jan 10, 2010 ...doctors have attacked jury verdicts and trial lawyers, only to learn, after publicly taking positions advocated by their malpractice carriers, that jury verdicts have little to do with their current predicament... Is 'sorry' the hardest word in health care? The New York Times, NY - Jan 9, 2010 ...Although one might assume that apologizing exposes hospitals to increased litigation, a few medical centers, including the University of Michigan Health Sysatem, have reported that the approach has reduced malpractice suits... State defers insurance fund raid Concord Monitor, NH - Jan 9, 2010 The state will not spend any money from a medical malpractice fund until the state Supreme Court decides whether that money legally belongs to the state... Opinion - Mike Thomas: Winter Park's Cecil Wilson, next AMA chief, steers toward middle Orlando Sentinel, FL - Jan 9, 2010 ...The AMA may well have gotten the sweetest deal of all the major health care players, including the drug companies and hospitals. The AMA's major concession is giving in on medical malpractice reform, which only receives token consideration in these bills... Medical malpractice news
Opinion - David Freddoso: Trial lawyers: We're served well by Obamacare San Francisco Examiner, CA - Jan 8, 2010 ...Those demonstration projects that Obama promised? Don't worry -- they're meaningless. There will be no reform of excessive, unwarranted non-economic damages... House: Keep the health bill antitrust repeal provision National Underwriter, Hoboken, NJ - Jan 7, 2010 House Democrats are insisting that the final version of the health bill include a provision taking the McCarran Ferguson Act antitrust exemption away from health and medical liability insurers... Opinion - David Martin: Middle ground for tort reform Atlanta Journal Constitution, GA - Jan 7, 2010 ...I believe the best way to approach this issue is to have Georgia’s potential medical malpractice cases screened first by a rotating panel of health care professionals, including doctors, nurses and perhaps representatives from the insurance industry... Research: What ails America's health care policies? Penn Current, University of Pennsylvania - Jan 7, 2010 ...“The common theme of my empirical research is investigating the relationship between liability and insurance,” says Baker, who is finishing a book on the role of liability insurance in shareholder litigation.His previous book, “The Medical Malpractice Myth,” turned the debate on its head... Medical malpractice news
Congressman talks health care reform Sun Gazette, Williamsport, PA - Jan 7, 2010 ...Carney was asked to consider tort reform measures as a means of cutting insurance costs as is done in Texas and Mississippi. He said such moves have not helped those two states reduce their number of malpractice suits filed by patients... Schwarzenegger makes tort reform a top priority LegalNewsline, Chicago, IL - Jan 6, 2010 ...In a position paper released Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said he plans to ask the state Legislature to address frivolous lawsuits and said he plans to seek a series of changes to the rules governing class-action and product liability lawsuits. He also wants a cap on punitive damage awards... Opinion - J.G. Preston: If malpractice insurance rates are driving MDs out of business, why are there more doctors? California Progress Report, San Mateo, CA - Jan 6, 2010 ...Are doctors are being driven out of the business? And is that a phenomenon limited to states that don’t have caps on damage awards?... Medical malpractice news
Opinion - Ralph E. Stone: Repeal health insurers' antitrust exemption San Francisco Chronicle, CA - Jan 6, 2010 ...Repeal of the act would ensure that health insurance issuers and medical malpractice insurance issuers cannot engage in price fixing, bid rigging, monopoly practices or market allocations to the detriment of competition and consumers... Washington to tackle credit scoring, streamline agent/broker licensing Insurance Journal, San Diego, CA - Jan 5, 2010 ...Among the changes are that some people handling medical malpractice claims are required to report some data to the state insurance commissioner. Unfortunately, many of the groups required to report claims data have failed to do so, despite repeated urging by the OIC... Opinion - Keith Forman: Turning off the lawyer persona at home The Daily Record, Baltimore, MD - Jan 5, 2010 ...I’ll try my hardest, but eventually the medical malpractice lawyer in me comes out. It usually culminates with a giggle or a sneering comment... Medical malpractice news
State's limits on punitive damages challenged Review Journal, Las Vegas, NV - Jan 5, 2010 ...Another state law places a $350,000 limit on the amount of punitive damages a patient can recover in medical malpractice cases... Docs deflect increasing malpractice claims Memphis Daily News, TN - Jan 5, 2010 ...Physicians and their insurance companies traditionally close up to 85 percent of malpractice cases without paying a penny to plaintiffs. But in the latest year of data available, 2007, the cost of those wins was up 17.5 percent... CBO confirms its support of med mal reform Physicians News Digest, Warminster, PA - Jan 4, 2010 ...Supposing the passage of medical malpractice reform, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) upped their projected savings to $54 billion from $5 billion over the next 10 years. Several lawmakers, particularly former ambulance chasers, were not satisfied with the new estimates and asked for more detail... Medical malpractice news
Deadline near for patient safety/liability reform proposals American Medical News, Chicago, IL – Jan 4, 2010 The Jan. 20 deadline is approaching for states and health systems looking to grab federal grant money dedicated to testing new approaches to improving patient safety and reducing medical liability pressures on physicians… Ohio court to decide what damages are reasonable American Medical News, Chicago, IL – Jan 4, 2010 … Because the high court's interpretation of the collateral source rule has broad implications for medical liability judgments, the case has garnered significant attention from the physician community… Medical malpractice suits drop with new requirements Nashville Public Radio, TN – Jan 4, 2010 The number of medical malpractice cases filed in Tennessee has dropped 60% this year. The steep decline in lawsuits stems from two new screening requirements… Opinion – Paul Carpenter: Dentist’s column on tort very logical The Morning Call, Allentown, PA – Jan 3, 2010 … He pointed out that both of Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators voted against legislation to cap the obscene fees that contingency fee lawyers are allowed to charge in medical malpractice cases… Editorial: There’s no health care reform without cost control Worcester Business Journal, MA – Jan 3, 2010 … Spending money on so-called reforms, while ignoring the fundamental flaws in our health care system (like the skyrocketing cost of medical malpractice insurance and the over-use of million-dollar surgical gizmos) would be a giant disservice to the American taxpayer… State of the state in 2010 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA – Jan 2, 2010 …Some critics say that balancing the 2010-11 budget could be especially difficult because one-time revenue sources, such as a $700 million account to defray doctors' medical malpractice costs and the state's $750 million "rainy day fund," were used up to balance the current budget… Year’s first births highlight concerns in Phila. Philadelphia Inquirer, PA – Jan 2, 2010 … "Hospitals are being squeezed by low insurance payments, especially from Medicaid; the high cost of medical liability insurance; and a shortage of obstetricians," said Ken Braithwaite… Editorial: Health care bill worthy of passage South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL – Jan 2, 2010 … For this reason, we're disappointed the Senate ruled out a public insurance option, and neither chamber made a serious stab at medical malpractice reform, interstate insurance sales or changing the cost-inflating system that pays providers for the quantity, not quality, of care… Medical malpractice news
What’s ahead for the Poconos in 2010 Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA – Jan 1, 2010 …"We have lost too many great physicians who have left the state of Pennsylvania because of rising malpractice premiums," Kuck said. State’s health care overseer seeks committee members Statesman Journal, Salem, OR – Jan 1, 2010 …The Medical Liability Task Force will evaluate approaches to medical liability reform, including caps on non-economic damage awards… Opinion – James Harris: Effort to repeal tort reform dangerous Springfield News-Leader, MO – Jan 1, 2010 …Indeed, the repeal of tort reform laws by lawyer-influenced courts has become a disturbing national pattern - approximately 138 tort reform statutes have been overturned, according to the American Tort Reform Association… |
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