NYT/Reuters: Bush Prods Congress on Medical Liability Limits

[DeepModem Mom]

Bush Prods Congress on Medical Liability Limits
By REUTERS
Published: August 22, 2006

MINNETONKA, Minnesota (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday renewed his call for Congress to curb medical malpractice lawsuits and signed an executive order aimed at providing Americans more information about the cost and quality of health care services.

Senate Democrats in May blocked legislation that would cap damages for pain and suffering in medical liability lawsuits, arguing that a drive for corporate profits rather than lawsuits was behind the rise in health care premiums.

"These trial lawyers need to back off,'' Bush told a health care forum before attending a fund-raiser for Minnesota Republican candidates for Congress. "A lot of OB/GYNs are leaving the practice because they're getting sued out of existence.''

Bush campaigned for the presidency on an agenda that included capping malpractice damages, arguing that they were driving up the cost of health care. However, with three months before the November elections where control of Congress is up for grabs, the chances of legislation becoming law are slim....

***

Legislation with a $250,000 cap has passed the House of Representatives repeatedly but has been blocked in the Senate....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/washington/politics-bush.html

[Lindacooks]

1. What a bunch of BS.

Malpractice lawsuits aren't driving up the cost of insurance. Let's punish people who are already hurt (or whose loved ones are dead or need constant care) to make insurance companies richer!

I honestly do not understand how the insurance industry survives, given the number of people who have been so screwed by them and who, justifiably, passionately hate them. Including me.

[msgadget]

2. Right, malpractice lawsuits aren't driving up the cost of insurance

and, from what I recall, capping them would only bring down malpractice insurance premiums a teeny weeny percentage. So, it's not the doctors this protects, as you've surmised, but the insurance companies. Further, with limited liability I doubt docs will suddenly get sloppy but at a time when every average citizen is expected to assume more and more responsibility, this seeks to remove that burden from doctors and their insurers. And, the timing...what about the timing? Setting up visceral reactions from the indoctrinated right wing devotees on a number of issues in time for November, no doubt.

[Straight Shooter]

3. bush is running a scam.

It's a lie. Look at Texas. Do you see insurance rates decreasing there? They've had caps for quite some time and it's hurting the victims most.

If they want doctors to stop being sued, then they need to make it easier to get rid of bad doctors, those very few doctors who are causing problems, and they need to come down harder on Big Pharma with their hurry-up clinical trials and their cut-throat competition for the latest drug to seduce the public, the lures to be on the hospital formularies without regard for the patient's best benefit.

I could go on and on, but I won't. It's late and I'm tired, but this is a big scam that bush is pushing, and the Repubs did it right before election 2004. Just wait for the new wave of "hate the personal injury lawyers" on your radio.

[ninkasi]

4. Texas passed some kind of "tort reform"

to limit malpractice awards. As soon as it was passed, the insurers demanded a rate increase.