Tame Malpractice Costs
Journal News (Westchester County, NY)
February 9, 2003


Bringing some sanity to insurance premiums is not the only crisis.

When it comes to high medical malpractice premiums, solutions at the state or federal level must strike a reasonable balance between protecting doctors from practice-busting insurance costs and compensating patients for medical errors and negligence. That cannot mean limiting patients' access to legal representation and the courts.

And simply casting the debate between physicians and trial lawyers – while leaving out insurance companies and patients, as organized doctors have apparently chosen to do - only distorts the issue. It polarizes everyone and dooms reform to temporary reprieves, at best.

…

* Is there enough scrutiny, and peer review, of physicians - and sanctions? How can the apparently small percentage of practitioners who make serious mistakes, are regularly sued and lose cases be stopped? Are censure procedures and processes for license revocation fair, and speedy, enough to protect patients - and the profession itself?

* How much is the insurance industry to blame for the current crisis? Consumer groups such as Americans for Insurance Reform say insurers have raised rates to cover bad investments and other losses. Lawmakers must assess, and reform as needed, current regulation of the industry to ensure fairness.

For a copy of the complete article, contact AIR.