How much are attorneys to blame for our health care "crisis"?

by **vruyk** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:10 am

Everyone is arguing over whether we should or should not have universal health care. The one thing that's forgotten about in this heated debate is the question of just how much are ambulance chasers and malpractice attorneys to blame? Has their greed driven malpractice insurance rates to unsustainable levels? How much do you think this factors in? Thanks.

by **crom** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:11 am

Hmmmm~~ Wasn't Obama a Lawyer?

by **vaiveatoish** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:13 am

I think it is a huge factor and it is one of the elephants in the room that no one is talking about.

by **lawly1** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:21 am

It's a red herring. No more, no less.

by **raleah** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:30 am

You bet...the greed and frivolous lawsuits that have helped create huge insurance premiums and medical costs are a big factor in our current healthcare mess. That's one reason why doctors hate lawyers so much. But you also have to remember that juries made up of people like us were the ones who rendered the verdicts awarding millions. So, Americans and the litigious society we've created have to share in the blame. It's a sort of supply and demand thing: the sleazy attorneys are only taking advantage of an opportunity. If they were laughed out of the courts by juries they would cease their frivolous suits.

by **zackary42** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:32 am

Malpractice insurance rates are high due to the costs of payouts. The costs of payouts are high as they have to pay for continuing care.

As insurance companies refuse to cover pre-existing conditions, anyone who suffers a mistake has to pay for the health costs of that mistake. Which means that the payout has to fund continuing care.

Stop insurance companies from excluding pre-existing conditions, or charge more to cover them, then costs fall, which means that pay out costs fall, which means that malpractice insurance rates are lower, which then further reduces healthcare costs.

I do not understand why so many Americans have fallen for lies about healthcare in the USA, abroad and also the planned reforms [1]. I mean, if the healthcare system in the USA is so good, why have no other nations taken it up? Could it be due to the following facts?
FACT - the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet [2].
FACT - the US has higher death rates for kids under five than western European countries with universal health coverage [3].
Or if the US healthcare system is run so well, why not run the fire service like the healthcare system? [4]
Maybe that is because in the USA, insurance companies push up costs, buy politicians and refuse to pay claims that people pay for [5]. (Look up Wendell Potter on YouTube to hear more if the link below is too long.)
Obama wants to make insurance cheaper, stop insurance companies from refusing health coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and make sure they pay out when they are meant to [6], a system similar to that which works in Taiwan [7]. He debated this before he was elected [8].
Is it right that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, Cuba, Germany and so many other industrialised nations with universal healthcare?
If you think my arguments are wrong, e-mail me with proof. But if you can not, let Obama try to help America. If he fails, vote him out in 2012.

by **seme22** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:36 am

Malpractice insurance rates are high due to the costs of payouts. The costs of payouts are high as they have to pay for continuing care.

As insurance companies refuse to cover pre-existing conditions, anyone who suffers a mistake has to pay for the health costs of that mistake. Which means that the payout has to fund continuing care.

Stop insurance companies from excluding pre-existing conditions, or charge more to cover them, then costs fall, which means that pay out costs fall, which means that malpractice insurance rates are lower, which then further reduces healthcare costs.

I do not understand why so many Americans have fallen for lies about healthcare in the USA, abroad and also the planned reforms [1]. I mean, if the healthcare system in the USA is so good, why have no other nations taken it up? Could it be due to the following facts?
FACT - the USA spends more on healthcare PER PERSON than any other nation on the planet [2].
FACT - the US has higher death rates for kids under five than western European countries with universal health coverage [3].
Or if the US healthcare system is run so well, why not run the fire service like the healthcare system? [4]
Maybe that is because in the USA, insurance companies push up costs, buy politicians and refuse to pay claims that people pay for [5]. (Look up Wendell Potter on YouTube to hear more if the link below is too long.)
Obama wants to make insurance cheaper, stop insurance companies from refusing health coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, and make sure they pay out when they are meant to [6], a system similar to that which works in Taiwan [7]. He debated this before he was elected [8].
Is it right that a dead American four year old would have had a better chance of life if they were born in Canada, Cuba, Germany and so many other industrialised nations with universal healthcare?
If you think my arguments are wrong, e-mail me with proof. But if you can not, let Obama try to help America. If he fails, vote him out in 2012.

Actually not that much - tort case damages only amount to 5% of their budget. And there is very little CYA testing done in today's HMO environment, so that's also not true.
Contrary to popular belief, it is quite difficult to file lawsuits, and attorneys only take cases they know they can win, with clear evidence of misconduct.
Fact is, there are a lot of insurance payouts and lawsuits won because medical doctors make a LOT of dumb mistakes, and drugs made by pharmaceutical companies KILL A LOT OF PEOPLE!!!!

by **hob97** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:44 am

They are not completely to blame, but share some role.

by **wattekinson86** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:48 am

They are not completely to blame, but share some role.

H U G E

by **drystan** » Tue Apr 05, 2011 3:54 am

Doctors are paying about $100,000+ a year in medical malpractice insurance and order far more tests than are really needed just to protect themselves. Also hospitals, makers of medical equipment and drug companies probably to the same thing.

So I would say the number one cause for the high cost of health care in this country is medical malpractice lawsuits.

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