Lawsuits are not limiting access to health care. The U.S. General Accounting Office found, after an extensive investigation, that doctors’ groups have misled, fabricated evidence, or, at the very least, wildly overstated their case about how malpractice insurance problems have limited access to health care. The only health care access problems that GAO could confirm were isolated and the result of factors having nothing at all to do with the legal system.
Originally Posted by CJ7
Of course, doctors lie. Why? Because people like you allow citizens to profit off of lying about doctors. How many people who sue doctors and lie under oath are jailed for perjury? Find me one person.
A Texas citizen can lie his ass off about a doctor to the medical board without worry about the doctor suing him for liable or slander. The same is true about medical expert witnesses, malpractice attorneys, judges, and insurance companies. It is all part of blaming doctors for the ills of our health care system. The rule of thumb for doctors is, "everyone can lie about you but you can't lie about them." Well, a lot of doctors don't think that is fair and lie back.
"Medical malpractice costs are a tiny percentage of overall health care expenditures. Medical malpractice insurance and claims costs represent, at most, only 2 percent of overall health care spending in this country, according to both the Congressional Budget Office and the General Accounting Office."
Well, if having malpractice laws were so critical to good medical care, how come the U.S. has such high costs, so many lawyers, and such crummy care? Hmmm? The New England Journal of Medicine came out with an article stating that there was definite medical malpractice but that malpractice lawyers do a horrible job of identifying the doctors who actually commit it. And lawyers could give a rat's ass about who is guilty, the #1 thing that they look for are "deep pockets".
2% of the medical budget is $50 billion per year, which is greater than the GDP of Panama, but that $50 billion is peanuts compared to how lawyers really fuck up the cost structure.
One piece of shit judge/lawyer cost the public $15 billion on one decision by extending Pfizer's monopolistic sale of Viagra in the U.S. for seven more years. See the link:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...ceuticals.html
What did Pfizer legally do to extend their monopoly? They filed a patent for use of Viagra for erectile dysfunction after a decade of marketing Viagra for ED. What did they really do? They bribed this judge/lawyer in a direct or indirect way. So that $50 billion number is bullshit with regards to how much lawyers cost the public medically. This one decision is $15 billion.
Then you look at John Edwards and his multimillion dollar verdicts against totally innocent doctors for kids born with cerebral palsy.
"One of his most noted victories was a $23 million settlement he got from a 1995 case — his last before joining the Senate — in which he sued the doctor, gynecological clinic, anesthesiologist and hospital involved in the birth of Bailey Griffin, who had cerebral palsy and other medical problems.
In 2003, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published a joint study that cast serious doubt on whether events at childbirth cause cerebral palsy. The 'vast majority' of cerebral palsy cases originate long before childbirth, according to the study."
Edwards had to make up a bunch of bullshit costly procedures that these doctors didn't do and had to claim by neglecting to do said tests, children were born with CP. So what do other doctors do when they see a fellow obstetrician get a $23 million verdict against them for not doing procedure A and B? They start doing unnecessary procedures A and B, and costs skyrocket, but the CBO and GAO don't count those costs.
And shouldn't an egotistical, narcisstic asshole like Edwards have to pay back the money he stole from the system given that he lied and was wrong? Of course not. He is envied not vilified by the legal community for his persecution of innocent doctors. Hell, the media ran to Edwards and gave him a voice on how to reform medicine when in reality the best thing for medical costs would be to put lawyers like Edwards in jail.
When I hear lawyers talk of lawsuits as the "cost of doing business", I always ask "And how many times have you been sued?" I have never got an answer to that question because I am sure it is always none.
The head of Medicare said defensive medicine costs are 9% or $225 billion per year but IMO if you look at ALL the indirect costs, the amount is closer to 30% which amounts to $750 billion a year.
The reason Americans pay 50 cents of every dollar spent on medications in the world is because of our fucked up legal system benefiting drug companies. If you want to buy generic $2 Viagra that are as good if not better than those sold in the U.S. for $20, head to the Mexican border.
This is what Michael Crichton, a doctor, warned us about, "Out of this study he has found certain fads, one such is the state of fear that is perpetuated by the politico-legal-media (PLM) complex, that is, promoting fear under the guise of promoting safety. "Politicians need fears to control the population. Lawyers need dangers to litigate, and make money. The media need scare stories to capture an audience. Together, these three estates are so compelling that they can go about their business even if the scare is totally groundless."
And what do all the government dickheads and their lawyer buddies talk about with regards to why we can't reimport drugs from Mexico and Canada? Safety of course. But do you know where much of the Viagara sold in the U.S. comes from? Ireland. LOL.
So here we go again with the fear mongering. Doctors are lying!! Hide the kiddies, ladies. These doctors are coming for them!!