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1/16/2003 04:20:00 PM | Brad Plumer Malpractice suits... President Bush today urged limits on medical malpractice suits--presumably tossing in his support for H.R. 4600 which I believe still awaits Senate consideration. So what's the deal here? How often do frivolous malpractice suits really occur? Do they really drive insurance costs up? Will anyone be hurt by a limit on litigation, besides perhaps trial lawyers? Public Citizen has a different view of the matter than President Bush, critiquing the so-called "insurance crisis" in Pennsylvania. Insurance costs are rising because insurance companies are hiking costs, costs which have risen almost everywhere. Arguably insurance companies are trying to recoup their vast September 11th losses. Moreover, only 4.7% of doctors are responsible for over 50% of malpractice lawsuits, with the bulk of lawsuits involving repeat offenders. So we should not assume that these lawsuits are frivolous. Finally, the Congressional Budget Office has determined that limiting liability would have a negligible effect on health care costs. H.R. 4600 stands to achieve little, if anything, of practical value. In other words, Mr. Bush has taken a fierce stand on a minor issue, drawing attention away from more serious health care concerns. Blah. perma link |
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