Senator McCain brought up an interesting topic on Conan the other night and said that health insurance would be HALF as much if doctors were held responsible for themselves. Malpractice insurance makes it so that doctors don't have to worry if they mess up ... they just pay a higher premium while a person is maimed or dies. But if there was NO malpractice insurance and doctors were ordered to hire another practitioner who could repair their error wouldn't that be so much better? In other words change it from a Medical PRACTICE into a Medical PROFESSION. If doctors knew they would have to pay for another doctor to correct their error if they became sloppy wouldn't they be more careful and work less hours and have fewer patients in order to raise the level of their treatments?
Plus, instead of taking the word of drug dealers for prescriptions wouldn't the doctors look into the side effects and all the ramifications of prescribing a certain medication, thus improving the entire profession overall?
Doctors are so possessed with having to cram as many patients into one day as possible and a BIG reason for that is so that they can pay the excessive cost of malpractice insurance. Why not eliminate that burden for the doctors and taxpayers and make it so that the good doctors are rewarded with more business and the bad doctors will no respect for their patients will serve their time in prison?
I used to have a business of my own and if I, or an employee, made an error, Consumer Affairs would make sure that I corrected the problem. paid for any medical bills, and performed the service for free if I ever made an error. You can bet that we had several check points where our work was inspected and we made sure that it was perfect before we gave it to the customer. Shouldn't doctors be held responsible as well?
wmayers99: I agree that McCain is an idiot but was using his question as a source and I was interested in an answer. It appears that YOU have no answer and perhaps should NOT have let us see into your void ... errr ... mind. Or do you actually have an answer ? I'm not interested in negative IQ levels here ... I seek knowledge ... can anyone answer this question so that I can email Obama and find out why he took this off the table?
GARY: BRAVO: I agree totally. So why can't we have Medical Committees who would first review a doctors abilities first and form a decision as to whether he is 1) competent, and 2) liable for his actions as per his Hippocratic Oath. 3) Worthy of having the suffix MD after his name?
If a Medical Group policed their own and determined if a doctor was qualified to continue or not, it would make the court process go much quicker and smoother AND clear out the chaff from the medical profession would it not?
Plus, if we could appoint these medical groups to over see the profession they could step in BEFORE anyone is injured and eliminate the dubious doctors before damage is caused. In this way, malpractice insurance could be eliminated, thus saving GOOD doctors the burden of this added unnecessary expense and giving them valuable time for R&R to help maintain their standards of quality.
wmayers99
Senator McCain is fool, and we were doubly blessed by his losing the recent election. He knows absolutely nothing about the practice of medicine, and you apparently don't, either. Learn whereof you speak before shooting off your mouth.
Gary
I have a friend who is a pediatrician. He says he spends half the month paying for malpractice insurance another 3/8 of the month paying off his $ 250,000 school loans and office rent, professional fees etc. that leaves 1/8 of a month to have any income left over. Doctors have overcome this by forming groups and making as much as possible by seeing as many patients as possible. This guy was sued because he sent a girl with a severe heart defect to a cardiologist. He said the girl was close to death when he first saw her. Her parents had ignored the problem. She died on the operating table, which he had nothing to do with. Yet he was sued as well. It ended up for his part with a summary dismissal after two years but he had to endure two years of depositions and worry.
Senator McCain whom I really like has his head in the sand. Doctors are responsible for what they do, though I would like to see them more responsible criminally. The problem is the repeat offenders who will prescribe anything the patient wants like Michel Jackson's doctor. These guys should go to jail. To many lawsuits against doctors are frivolous. They should be reviewed by state review committees before the courts ever see them and patients who bring on frivolous suits should be fined along with their lawyers.
If you think its bad now wait until national health care comes along.
EDIT: I also think no lawyer should be permitted in the state hearings. They should be only as formal as necessary, all evidence should be reviewed and the committee's judgment should be as final as a grand jury. "First kill all the lawyers." William Shakespeare"
It could also be we should not trust doctors so much. I say question every action. If the doctor won't give you an explanation find another one. For now you are free to choose one. This will not be a choice if the current administration has it's way with health care.
BJ Freeman
this is the same as product liability, IMHO.
it is the lawyers that have a hay day.
I think the liability as a place, but need to figure out how to limit the lawyers take.
that would reduce the suites and the insurance fees.
Twilight Heathen
I think when people realize that doctors are human, make mistakes, try as hard as they can, but people will die because as humans we have no choice, and also take responsibility for their own actions it might work. But because I am a pessimist and consider the human race rather stupid, I don't ever see it happening. It is NOT the doctor's fault that you smoked 3 packs of cigs a day and now the only way for you to breathe is through a tube in your throat. It is NOT the doctor's fault that for whatever reason no one knew you were allergic to penicillin when you were in treatment and it caused a reaction/death. If people continue--and believe me I am not in any shape to criticize people cause I'm pretty out of shape--to not pay attention to their physical well being and allow it to get to the point that you need medical intervention, don't expect the doctor/nurse/caregiver to rule your life. Don't say, "Oh my doctor won't give me the medicine I need." Maybe you don't need medicine, you just need to take control and say, "I am the reason I am not healthy and if I want to feel better I need to take more control."
Now, there are instances of stupidity--the wrong leg cut off, the medication not being properly administered, too many pills that interact but people don't ask their pharmacist. Don't assume your doctor is smart. Ask questions, do some research, if it doesn't sound right it probably isn't right. But most doctors are general physicians who either went in for the money--stupid--or had a gift to help people. HELP people. Help only goes so far. People help people who help themselves. (Yes, I purposely left out God, don't leave it up to an entity either.)
Orignal From: Tips: What problms would we encounter if we eliminated malpractice insurance & made doctors responsible 4 their act?
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