If a few free public hospitals totally paid for by taxes cannot survive how are we going to support the entire US population, both legal and illegal, with tax dollars? Where will the money come from?
BTW tort reform would save $100B-$200B/year. The Illinois Supreme Court consisting of all lawyers decided any cap at all on pain and suffering was unconstitutional. No wonder we spend more than every other country. In NYS the head of the state assembly is not only a trial lawyer but is on a hidden from the public annual retainer from his firm. Shock- he votes each year against tort reform.
We don’t spend more because of malpractice suits. Studies have shown that the effect of lawsuits on malpractice insurance costs is minimal.
A few public hospitals are the only health care option for many Americans without health insurance. Many of these people end up in the emergency room for very expensive treatment that could have been prevented if they had seen a doctor. If they had health insurance, they could see a doctor and stay out of the emergency room. Also the burden of caring for these people would not be born solely by public hospitals but by the entire health system.
Prevention is cheaper than an emergency room visit.
Sandrino, either you are a trial lawyer spreading the gospel or you have been taken in by their BS.
Defensive medicine has nothing to do with the malpractice insurance I pay each year. It is the thousands of unnecessary tests that I order to prevent those law suits. The left says we in the US spend more than any other country on health care. Probably true but why? I order totally unnecessary tests on a thousand patients so that the one where the test is positive doesn’t sue me and collect $5M.
Our local hospital is a taxing district, and the voters chose to go for badly needed improvements. As I walk by the construction, and see the contractors working, it’s also notable that “stimulus money” is also helping to provide construction jobs, jobs for the future, and health care to our community supported by “private”, “insurance”, and “tax” dollars.
Tort reform is sorely needed in this country- as libertarian notes the impacts quite well- doctors perform surgery, lawyers just eviscerate people, and walk away with the blood on their hands, and the bucks in their pockets.
Review boards should determine whether malpractice is relevant- a jury of their peers- before some dishwasher, logger, ditch digger, secretary, carpenter, house painter, or housewife listens to a lawyer define “sound medical practice”, in court.
When his appendix bursts, I say, “Lawyer- heal thyself”.
Libertarian1, it’s not so much a question of tort reform, but rather that medical accidents, errors of judgement, etc, are dealt with by a judicial system, the primary objective of which is to place blame and punish error. The whole system should be replaced by an accident-analysis system in which the objective, as in the investigation of airline crashes, is rather to prevent the mistake from re-occuring. Patients should be awarded reasonable damages from a fund created and maintained for that purpose, whether or not anyone can be found to be at fault. Unlike the present US system, in which everybody tries to cover up his or her mistakes, such an arrangement would encourage reporting of incidents and near-incidents by medical personnel, which should be made mandatory. Only in cases where intent to cause harm or really gross incompetence seems to be involved should the courts become involved. This would greatly improve the practice of medicine in the United States, while at the same time lowering costs. But of course, it goes contrary to the whole concept of US (in)justice, which divides the world into good guys (those who have the most expensive lawyers) and bad guys (those who don’t) and would moreover reduce the profits of insurance companies and trial lawyers, so it is most unlikely that anything of the sort will be adopted….
comYics over 14 years ago
A little less conversation…Elvis Presley. A little less conversation…Elvis Presley. A little less conversation…Elvis Presley.
kennethcwarren64 over 14 years ago
Our heath care system must be the best look how much they are charging us for it.
Libertarian1 over 14 years ago
If a few free public hospitals totally paid for by taxes cannot survive how are we going to support the entire US population, both legal and illegal, with tax dollars? Where will the money come from?
BTW tort reform would save $100B-$200B/year. The Illinois Supreme Court consisting of all lawyers decided any cap at all on pain and suffering was unconstitutional. No wonder we spend more than every other country. In NYS the head of the state assembly is not only a trial lawyer but is on a hidden from the public annual retainer from his firm. Shock- he votes each year against tort reform.
sandrino over 14 years ago
We don’t spend more because of malpractice suits. Studies have shown that the effect of lawsuits on malpractice insurance costs is minimal.
A few public hospitals are the only health care option for many Americans without health insurance. Many of these people end up in the emergency room for very expensive treatment that could have been prevented if they had seen a doctor. If they had health insurance, they could see a doctor and stay out of the emergency room. Also the burden of caring for these people would not be born solely by public hospitals but by the entire health system.
Prevention is cheaper than an emergency room visit.
Charles Brobst Premium Member over 14 years ago
Health care is a right for all human beings, and if it means that a few insurance executives have to put off that new yacht that’s fine by me.
Libertarian1 over 14 years ago
Sandrino, either you are a trial lawyer spreading the gospel or you have been taken in by their BS.
Defensive medicine has nothing to do with the malpractice insurance I pay each year. It is the thousands of unnecessary tests that I order to prevent those law suits. The left says we in the US spend more than any other country on health care. Probably true but why? I order totally unnecessary tests on a thousand patients so that the one where the test is positive doesn’t sue me and collect $5M.
Dtroutma over 14 years ago
Our local hospital is a taxing district, and the voters chose to go for badly needed improvements. As I walk by the construction, and see the contractors working, it’s also notable that “stimulus money” is also helping to provide construction jobs, jobs for the future, and health care to our community supported by “private”, “insurance”, and “tax” dollars.
Tort reform is sorely needed in this country- as libertarian notes the impacts quite well- doctors perform surgery, lawyers just eviscerate people, and walk away with the blood on their hands, and the bucks in their pockets.
Review boards should determine whether malpractice is relevant- a jury of their peers- before some dishwasher, logger, ditch digger, secretary, carpenter, house painter, or housewife listens to a lawyer define “sound medical practice”, in court.
When his appendix bursts, I say, “Lawyer- heal thyself”.
davesmithsit over 14 years ago
Health care a right? Not in the const. not a right. Get a clue . In fact try buying one it might help the economy
kennethcwarren64 over 14 years ago
Blue Cross just raised their rates by an average of 37%. Our politicans must costs more then we thought.
petergrt over 14 years ago
Medicare is being defrauded by about $65 billion a year, and rising.
Plugging that, and other holes, as shysters’ full employment act(s) would pay for a lot of real heath care.
mhenriday over 14 years ago
Libertarian1, it’s not so much a question of tort reform, but rather that medical accidents, errors of judgement, etc, are dealt with by a judicial system, the primary objective of which is to place blame and punish error. The whole system should be replaced by an accident-analysis system in which the objective, as in the investigation of airline crashes, is rather to prevent the mistake from re-occuring. Patients should be awarded reasonable damages from a fund created and maintained for that purpose, whether or not anyone can be found to be at fault. Unlike the present US system, in which everybody tries to cover up his or her mistakes, such an arrangement would encourage reporting of incidents and near-incidents by medical personnel, which should be made mandatory. Only in cases where intent to cause harm or really gross incompetence seems to be involved should the courts become involved. This would greatly improve the practice of medicine in the United States, while at the same time lowering costs. But of course, it goes contrary to the whole concept of US (in)justice, which divides the world into good guys (those who have the most expensive lawyers) and bad guys (those who don’t) and would moreover reduce the profits of insurance companies and trial lawyers, so it is most unlikely that anything of the sort will be adopted….
Henri