In article ,
says...

On Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:44:34 -0400, W1TEF
wrote:

On Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:01:39 -0700, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

Tort reform is a right-wing canard. It's about 3-4% of the problem.

Horsefeathers as my Grandfather used to say in polite company.

I know what it costs my daughters for their insurances and I can tell
you, it's easily 18% of their liability in terms of payout for their
practices to stay in business.

uh...you have a problem

you assume that what the insurance companies charge is related to what
they pay out in insurance claims.

got any proof of that? because what the companies DO do is use
premiums to cover their investment losses.

Paid malpractice claims and malpractice litigation costs have been
pegged at about one half of one percent (.5%) of health care costs.
This is a quantifiable cost.
"Defensive" medicine costs can't be determined.
A case can be made that "defensive" medicine is simply "thorough and
careful" medicine.
Even among OB/GYNs - a high premium specialty - the rate can vary
drastically, eg 600%, due to what state the practice is in, since it the
states that regulate the insurance companies.
As always, it is the insurance company middlemen raking it in.
Dealing with insurance companies, whether with exorbitant malpractice
premiums, or with nitpicking health care claims, is the doctor's curse.
They can deal with it, work to change the system, or find another
occupation.
That's pretty much what I do in selling and fitting shoes.
When confronted by smelly feet, I recommend these to my customers.

http://www.amazon.com/Pair-Anti-Odor...Insoles-Smell-
Eater/dp/B001M5JKXU

I think carrying these in the shop would be profitable, but haven't been
able to convince management of that. We do sell orthopedic insoles, and
they move pretty good. Rack space is limited, and the margin on the
orhtos is better than the smell-eaters.
I do love my job, try to help people, change what I can, and accept what
I can not change. Learned that early from Ann Landers.

Peter