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Don’t Be Fooled – Again
Government, AMA Data Shows
Many Health Care Problems are Misdiagnosed
Make no mistake, there are many problems in today’s health care system, but if you take the government’s word for it, you just might get fooled. Key findings in a series of reports by the non-profit watchdog group Private Citizen, based on data from the U.S. Government and the American Medical Association, and others, indicate that many of the health care crisis situations referenced by elected officials in Washington, D.C. are just that – a hoax.
“The Great Medical Malpractice Hoax” goes above and beyond recent accepted medical theories to expose some rather disturbing truths in today’s health care system, conclusions and findings that collectively work to dispel some of the most commonly accepted myths in today’s health care system.
Did you know?
In his 2006 State of the Union address, President Bush stated: “Lawsuits are driving many good doctors out of practice.”
Truth – according to statistics published by the American Medical Association (AMA), the number of practicing physicians is growing faster than the population. More new doctors are coming into practice at a higher rate than ever before. Enrollment at medical schools around the country are at an all-time high. To suggest the opposite – doctors are leaving practice due to high malpractice premiums and lawsuits – is both irresponsible and unfounded.
The President went on to claim that medical malpractice lawsuits send the cost of malpractice premiums “skyrocketing.” He was quick to put the blame on the legal profession, instead of pointing to the real problem – the insurers themselves.
Truth – recent reports paint a very different picture. Medical malpractice insurers have enjoyed record-breaking, huge profits the past two years, both all-time highs. No mention of that was made by the President then or since. In Florida alone (which was described as a “crisis state”), the Office of Insurance Regulation reported that the largest 15 medical malpractice insurers reaped record profits that exceeded $800 million! That amount is expected to exceed $1 billion in 2008! If physician malpractice premiums are skyrocketing, one has to look no further than the insurers. Note to physicians seeking relief from the high cost of malpractice premiums: talk to your agent. You deserve an explanation.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that accusations of frivolous lawsuits being at the core of the health care crisis are simply false and without merit. The Harvard report goes on to state that: “The malpractice system performs reasonably well in its function of separating claims without merit from those with merit and compensating the latter.”
Other key findings:
- Medical Malpractice Payments Are Actually Declining
- Payments Correspond to Severity of Injury
- Patient Safety Is the Real Crisis
- The Actual Number of Malpractice Claims is on the decline
- Underreporting of Medical Malpractice Claims is a rising concern
- Improving Patient Safety Will Save Lives
While a pretty grim picture has been painted of the medical reform crisis, with many fingers being pointed at those who have worked to defend and protect the rights and well-being of the thousands and thousands of victims of medical malpractice, the emerging trends and statistics have painted a very different picture. While many states, including Indiana, have made it very difficult for citizens who are victims of medical carelessness, negligence and malpractice at the hands of those trusted to their care to get help, it is the lawyers who work to defend their clients against such atrocities who are often the ones being maligned in the process. Despite a peer review system that is one of the most doctor-friendly and restrictive in the country, the lawyers of Cline Farrell Christie & Lee continue in their commitment of defending those who have fallen victim to medical malpractice.
About Christie Bell & Marshall
Have you been injured as a result of medical malpractice? Every Indianapolis medical malpractice lawyer at Christie Bell & Marshall has experience and can help you explore your options.
To read more about the report “The Great Medical Malpractice Hoax,” click on the link below.
https://citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=7497#context
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