On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:32:20 -0500, Vic Smith wrote:


Defensive medicine isn't necessarily wasted medicine. One of the dirty
little secrets in our health care system, is that roughly 100,000 deaths
per year, result from medical mistakes. That's twice as many deaths
than are caused by motor vehicles. Perhaps, more doctors should
practice defensive medicine.

Mistakes and "defensive medicine" are separate issues.

True, but then so is health care reform, and tort reform.

Second, if it's as you say that
there's a "good idea whether it will work or not," why can't what
works be federalized? Seems to me this is a case of the trial lawyers
being in the Dem pocket. Big mistake not reconciling this and
shutting up one of the Rep talking points.

You are willing to give up your right to sue for peanuts? Medical
malpractice costs are 1-2% of health care costs. Some incompetent
doctor makes you a paraplegic and you are willing to accept $250,000 for
your pain and suffering? Not me. Over 35 states already limit
compensation patients can receive for medical errors. Where are all the
savings? 35 states have tort reform. Why are Republicans bitching
about the other 15? It's a red herring.

I think it's not so simple as a red herring.
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/08/2...o-tort-reform-
because-trial-lawyers-too-intimidating/
As to the $250,000 cap, according to this your paraplegic scenario has
recourse.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/08/18/
dems_ace_in_the_hole_on_health_care_tort_reform_97 919.html#
"Where the cap is insufficient in particularly egregious cases a "Health
Court" could hear appeals and make awards above the cap from a
compensation fund provided by the healthcare industry." Beckel pretty
much restates my feeling about the political trump card the Dems can
play here by going with some version of tort reform. You have to get
away from the playing of rhetorics here if you want to get something
done.
Not so sure about the "health court" idea, as courts can be bought. But
it could work if tweaked right.

The health court idea shows some promise, IMO. I also wouldn't mind
seeing some sort of entry bar before one can sue. What I can't see, is
protecting some doctor's wallet at the expense of a crippled patient.


Just as important and not much discussed is the pulling of licenses of
docs who make too many mistakes, and an effort to get more docs trained.
Looking at ratios of doc/patient here and in other 1st world countries,
we are way behind.

Both very good points, that should be addressed. Most doctors are well
qualified and competent, but the incompetent ones, the ones that are
responsible for the majority of malpractice, need to go. As for the
number of doctors, ever notice many emergency rooms are staffed with
immigrant doctors? It's my understanding that the AMA will only certify
so many slots at medical schools. It's time to change that.

That's the doc lobby.
Went through this bull**** when one of my daughters was heading for a
dental hygienist track. Lack of schools for attaining that cert here in
Illinois is a disgrace and a joke. She'll soon be a schoolteacher
instead, despite working as a dental assistant since she was 16. That's
ok with her anyway. She found out during the torture of getting into a
hygienist cert school that it was really pressure from her orthodontist
boss that had pushed her in that direction, not a real desire to enter
that occupation.

Good choice, IMO. Maybe it's just me, but spending a work day inside
someone's mouth ... ;-(