Republicans Continue to Push for Tort Reform
“The effort to overhaul the nation’s health care system has so far skirted the issue of tort reform, intensifying debate over the role malpractice lawsuits play in increasing premiums.” Critics say the new health reform law does not do enough to address the high costs of medical lawsuits, but other experts say that malpractice suits do not contribute to increasing health costs. “That hasn’t changed the sentiment of local Republican members of Congress, who argue the savings from reducing medical lawsuits would be significant. … ‘In fact, the Congressional Budget Office told Congress that the federal government could save up to $54 billion over 10 years by implementing medical malpractice reform. If it had built on this example, the health care law could have had an impact on costs nationwide.’”
According to other experts, a more efficient way to cut costs would be to look toward quality control. “Credible reports estimate that 100,000 Americans die each year from medical errors. The public would not tolerate hundreds of commercial plane crashes a year claiming that number of lives each year, he said”.
