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Category Archives: Tort Reform BS

THE HIGH COST OF DEFENSIVE MEDICINE

PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that defensive medicine adds $210 billion to America’s medical bill. Kevin Pho explains, in USA Today, why doctors order so many CYA tests: 
The simple reason is that every physician wants to avoid being sued.Win or lose, the ordeal of a malpractice trial is a devastating experience.
But do good doctors really need to be this paranoid? […]

Posted 23 April 2008 † Catron § ‡ Comments (1)

OVERTREATMENT: IT’S THE LAWSUITS, STUPID!

When dealing with the problem of medical overtreatment, ”progressive” policy wonks always manage to tiptoe around the elephant in the room: malpactice abuse.
A typical example of this phenomenon can be found at Economist’s View. In a post about Shannon Brownlee’s book, Overtreated, Mark Thoma insinuates that the overtreatment problem is caused by greed:
Essentially, the argument is that profit maximization […]

Posted 19 December 2007 † Catron § ‡ Comments (4)

Medical Malpractice Caps Work

The New York Times reluctantly reports that tort reform in Texas has produced precisely the results its advocates predicted:
Four years after Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting awards in medical malpractice lawsuits, doctors are responding as supporters predicted, arriving from all parts of the country to swell the ranks of specialists at Texas hospitals […]

Posted 05 October 2007 † Catron § ‡ Comments (15)

John Edwards, C-Sections, and Childbirth Deaths

A couple of months ago, I linked to a post that featured some interesting physician comments regarding the culpability of personal injury lawyers in the increased use of C-sections. Many of the docs mentioned one such attorney by name:
Edwards specifically has made much of his fortune suing doctors for not performing C-sections, arguing that they help prevent […]

Posted 25 August 2007 † Catron § Political BS ‡ Comments (12)

Fred Thompson on Tort Reform

Fred Thompson believes that Federalism is the key to meaningful tort reform. He writes that, rather than relying on Washington to solve the problem of malpractice abuse, we should look to the states. To support this proposition, he cites the Texas experience:
Only a few years ago, Texas was losing doctors fast. Rising malpractice insurance […]

Posted 22 June 2007 † Catron § Political BS ‡ Comments (8)

More Guts than a Government Mule

This produced a coffee-spewing LOL when I saw it. John Edwards wants to help with malpractice reform? Well …. ah …. only Nixon could go to China, right?
Some blawgs, like TortsProf are pretty sanguine about Edwards new religion. Other law bloggers, like Eric Turkewitz, are not amused.
I have to go clean my monitor off […]

Posted 14 June 2007 † Catron § Political BS ‡ Comments (2)

John Edwards Has Already Changed Health Care!

The health care plan presented by the John Edwards presidential campaign has received a good deal of approbation from the advocates of government-run health care. Paul Krugman, for example, advises that the Edwards plan “gets it right.”  But we don’t have to wait for Edwards to to become President to see him change health care. […]

Posted 13 June 2007 † Catron § Political BS ‡ Comments (8)

Flea: Another Argument for Tort Reform?

Much of the reaction to Flea’s case at Kevin, MD, GruntDoc, and a variety of other blogs has focused on its implications for medical blogging or on the doctor’s poor judgment. But this sad tale also begs the following question: Would the episode have happened at all if Flea’s medical practice were in Texas?  
It’s conceivable […]

Posted 31 May 2007 † Catron § ‡ Comments (8)

The Wrath of Attorneys

Yesterday’s post on Ron Paul and tort reform got me in hot water with at least one trial lawyer. Charles Fowler posted a none-too-flattering comment whose general theme is captured in the following passage:
I’m sorry, but you are either grossly misinformed or intentionally misleading your readers …
One gets the feeling that Mr. Fowler isn’t […]

Posted 07 May 2007 † Catron § ‡ Comments (10)

Ron Paul and Tort Reform

As I have made clear here and here, Ron Paul’s positions on health care appeal to my inner libertarian. I am, however, uneasy with his voting record on malpractice lawsuits. The irresponsible pursuit of gigantic settlements by ambulance chasers has contributed to health care inflation and created physician shortages in some parts of the country. […]

Posted 06 May 2007 † Catron § Political BS § Ron Paul BS ‡ Comments (6)