Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Myth Buster 101, Pt.8 – (6) Significance of Malpractice Suits.

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“Truth continued: […end of socialized medicine from page before…]

Because “Socialized medicine” is so widely misunderstood in this country, it is being ‘demonized’ by ‘fear hypesters’ with a very deceptive ‘rap’. Hearsay and third-party opinions about health insurance/care systems of other countries are worth far less than what you pay for them. Anybody can say anything, and who’s to know? The heavy price you pay by believing unqualified opinions is the high risk of a distorted view that may twist the truth of your most-personal value system. The fact is, our country has already been appreciating and depending “government-funded health care” for many years. Consider “the Veterans Affairs Health Care system and the Medicare program.” There doesn’t seem to be any contradiction of “American ideals of free market and choice” here. So, our nation’s health insurance/care system is already hybrid. It just needs some major ‘tweaking’.

6)  “Myth: “Medical malpractice lawsuits are little more than predatory lawyers destroying honest doctors; caps should be set on the amount awarded to accusers.”

“Truth: Although the malpractice system is deeply flawed, setting caps deflects attention from patient safety and would likely not reduce frivolous lawsuits or costly premiums.”

Mr. Kazanjian allows that the experts agree that our malpractice liability system is seriously flawed and needs reform. However, since "malpractice costs represent less than 2 percent of total health insurance/care spending” any claims of this causing a national crises have been ‘overblown’. As far as higher malpractice rates hiking health insurance rates, any correlation between the two is small. Also, because frivolous lawsuits are so few, to place a general cap over all cases would unduly restrict the bonafide claims, which are by far the majority. This would serve to prevent ‘just compensation’. In sum, the experts postulate that the way to resolve these increasing costs is to concentrate more on “evidence-based medicine, independent screening, immediate disclosure of errors, and even a no-fault system of compensation”. In any cast, this is certainly not a major contributor to the reason so many millions or our people can’t afford health insurance.

Again, the reader is encouraged to weigh these findings against other legitimate sources. Correspondence is also available with experts at the Center for American Progress. Their email addresses are listed on their website at www.americanprogress.org. The scope of this article is intended to focus on the major health insurance/care crises concerning the detrimental effects on those of out nation without health insurance and those who have inadequate health insurance.