Sunday, June 15, 2008
Discussion with Ralph, Part 2
The congress is full of lawyers. They don't want change they just want to keep their seats. If they really wanted health care reform then they should first give us Tort reform so that the doctors don't have to worry about patients suing for every hangnail they suffer. That has driven healthcare to the point it is today, not the doctors or the pharmaceutical developers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I wish I knew exactly what Tort reform is - I'll look it up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tort_reform). But the equation here is not simple. Yes, we hear about the cases that go to court, the decisions made by judges and juries, and they seem incredible. One place where we are still #1 in the world is that we are by far the most litigious country. (it's another subject entirely, but we are also number 1 in homicides and suicides, especially by firearms) (I know I digress, but damn it, I enjoyed being number 1 in education, number 1 in science, etc.) I'm back. As to patients suing doctors, while it seems out of hand, and the awards by courts seem in some cases atrocious, we must be careful not to stifle the patient too much. A balance is needed. Doctors do make mistakes. The pharmaceutical industry does make mistakes. (We could get into a lengthy discussion on insurance companies also, but let's leave it for now, and agree that change is needed, and it must come from congress).
Now that I've looked up Tort reform, I do have to say that I cannot understand how we have strayed so far from personal responsibility. If I step on a rake and the handle hits me in the head, is it really the rake manufacturer's fault???
Post a Comment