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Doctors invade Texas after limits on malpractice payments
Doctors invade Texas after limits on malpractice payments
Much of this alleged negligence eg babies born with cerebral
palsy is just natural illness and not the fault of the doctors.
Recently the Canadian govt gave over millions to a man who had been
handed to the Syrians and 'tortured' for a year. The politicans love
handing over the taxpayers money to militants.
excerpt
http :// online.wsj,com
That confrontation fizzled, however, and before long Texas
succeeded at enacting two simple but effective reforms. One capped
medical malpractice awards for noneconomic damages at $250,000,
changed the burden of proof for claiming injury for emergency room
care from simple negligence to "willful and wanton neglect," and
required that an independent medical expert file a report in support
of the claimant.
This has allowed doctors and hospitals to cut costs and even increase
the resources devoted to charity care. Take Christus Health, a
nonprofit Catholic health system across the state. Thanks to tort
reform, over the past four years Christus saved $100 million that it
otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher
insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor
patients.
One judge now makes all pretrial discovery and evidence rulings,
including the validity of expert doctor reports, for all cases. This
creates legal consistency and virtually eliminates "venue shopping" –
a process by which trial lawyers file briefs in districts that they
know will be friendly to frivolous suits. Trials still occur in
plaintiffs' home counties.
More change sailed through the legislature in 2005; tort reform had
become popular with voters and lobbying against it was ineffectual.
The 2005 reform created minimum medical standards to prove an injury
in asbestos and silica cases. Now plaintiffs must show diminished lung
capacity in addition to an X-ray indicating disease.
In sum, these reforms have worked wonders. There are about 85,000
asbestos plaintiffs in Texas. Under the old system, each would be
advancing in the courts. But in the four years since the creation of
MDLs, only 300 plaintiffs' cases have been certified ready for trial.
And in each case the plaintiff is almost certainly sick with
mesothelioma or cancer.
No one else claiming "asbestosis" has yet filed a pulmonology report
showing diminished lung capacity. This means that only one-third of 1%
of all those people who have filed suit claiming they were sick with
asbestosis have actually had a qualified and impartial doctor agree
that they have an asbestos-caused illness.
Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy
plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to
$150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in
the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in
defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.
The full costs of large settlements and runaway malpractice suits may
never be known. But it is clear that the costs were paid for by
consumers through the increased price of goods, by pensioners through
diminished stock prices, and by workers through lost jobs. Another
group often overlooked is those who are priced out of health care, or
who didn't receive charity care because doctors were squeezed by tort
lawyers. Frivolous lawsuits hit the uninsured the hardest.
In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's
civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas
Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance
companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving
doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive
malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies
competing for business. This is driving rates down.
The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State
Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new
medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog
of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature
rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.
Much of this alleged negligence eg babies born with cerebral
palsy is just natural illness and not the fault of the doctors.
Recently the Canadian govt gave over millions to a man who had been
handed to the Syrians and 'tortured' for a year. The politicans love
handing over the taxpayers money to militants.
excerpt
http :// online.wsj,com
That confrontation fizzled, however, and before long Texas
succeeded at enacting two simple but effective reforms. One capped
medical malpractice awards for noneconomic damages at $250,000,
changed the burden of proof for claiming injury for emergency room
care from simple negligence to "willful and wanton neglect," and
required that an independent medical expert file a report in support
of the claimant.
This has allowed doctors and hospitals to cut costs and even increase
the resources devoted to charity care. Take Christus Health, a
nonprofit Catholic health system across the state. Thanks to tort
reform, over the past four years Christus saved $100 million that it
otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher
insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor
patients.
One judge now makes all pretrial discovery and evidence rulings,
including the validity of expert doctor reports, for all cases. This
creates legal consistency and virtually eliminates "venue shopping" –
a process by which trial lawyers file briefs in districts that they
know will be friendly to frivolous suits. Trials still occur in
plaintiffs' home counties.
More change sailed through the legislature in 2005; tort reform had
become popular with voters and lobbying against it was ineffectual.
The 2005 reform created minimum medical standards to prove an injury
in asbestos and silica cases. Now plaintiffs must show diminished lung
capacity in addition to an X-ray indicating disease.
In sum, these reforms have worked wonders. There are about 85,000
asbestos plaintiffs in Texas. Under the old system, each would be
advancing in the courts. But in the four years since the creation of
MDLs, only 300 plaintiffs' cases have been certified ready for trial.
And in each case the plaintiff is almost certainly sick with
mesothelioma or cancer.
No one else claiming "asbestosis" has yet filed a pulmonology report
showing diminished lung capacity. This means that only one-third of 1%
of all those people who have filed suit claiming they were sick with
asbestosis have actually had a qualified and impartial doctor agree
that they have an asbestos-caused illness.
Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy
plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to
$150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in
the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in
defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.
The full costs of large settlements and runaway malpractice suits may
never be known. But it is clear that the costs were paid for by
consumers through the increased price of goods, by pensioners through
diminished stock prices, and by workers through lost jobs. Another
group often overlooked is those who are priced out of health care, or
who didn't receive charity care because doctors were squeezed by tort
lawyers. Frivolous lawsuits hit the uninsured the hardest.
In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's
civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas
Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance
companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving
doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive
malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies
competing for business. This is driving rates down.
The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State
Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new
medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog
of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature
rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.
Re: Doctors invade Texas after limits on malpractice payments
On May 17, 7:09 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote:Much of this
alleged negligence eg babies born with cerebral palsy is just natural
illness and not the fault of the doctors. <<
Actually the rate of cerebral palsy coincides with the implementation
of iron fortified food to our existence.
The iron feeds pathogens and cerebral palsy has been shown to be
linked to womb infection.
Then we come to baby brain damage which closely resembles this disease
which is very common in newborns of iron supplemented expectant
mothers.
One third of pregnant women never deliver a healthy baby.
On May 17, 7:09 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote: Recently the
Canadian govt gave over millions to a man who had been
handed to the Syrians and 'tortured' for a year. The politicans love
handing over the taxpayers money to militants. <<
The government hands out money to each other.
This 'militant' was found to be not guilty of his crimes and was
rewarded for his bravery when he was found to have been tortured
BECAUSE of the FACT .. he was left high and dry by the governments of
both Canada and the United States ..
If I remember correctly he was handed over to the United States who
promptly handed him over to the Syrians who then dined on one of his
nuts and ass raped him until he .. fkg .. near .. died.
Then we find out .. NONE ..of the above had to happen because he was
denied his .. **rights** ..
Now the fact YOU call him a terrorist .. and he was found NOT GUILTY
of BEING a .. terrorist .. makes one wonder whether YOU .. habshi ..
are .. a terrorist ..
Habshi ..
Hmmmm ..
Is that .. Syrian .. ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
>
> excerpt
> http :// online.wsj,com
>
> That confrontation fizzled, however, and before long Texas
> succeeded at enacting two simple but effective reforms. One capped
> medical malpractice awards for noneconomic damages at $250,000,
> changed the burden of proof for claiming injury for emergency room
> care from simple negligence to "willful and wanton neglect," and
> required that an independent medical expert file a report in support
> of the claimant.
>
> This has allowed doctors and hospitals to cut costs and even increase
> the resources devoted to charity care. Take Christus Health, a
> nonprofit Catholic health system across the state. Thanks to tort
> reform, over the past four years Christus saved $100 million that it
> otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher
> insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor
> patients.
>
> One judge now makes all pretrial discovery and evidence rulings,
> including the validity of expert doctor reports, for all cases. This
> creates legal consistency and virtually eliminates "venue shopping" –
> a process by which trial lawyers file briefs in districts that they
> know will be friendly to frivolous suits. Trials still occur in
> plaintiffs' home counties.
>
> More change sailed through the legislature in 2005; tort reform had
> become popular with voters and lobbying against it was ineffectual.
> The 2005 reform created minimum medical standards to prove an injury
> in asbestos and silica cases. Now plaintiffs must show diminished lung
> capacity in addition to an X-ray indicating disease.
>
> In sum, these reforms have worked wonders. There are about 85,000
> asbestos plaintiffs in Texas. Under the old system, each would be
> advancing in the courts. But in the four years since the creation of
> MDLs, only 300 plaintiffs' cases have been certified ready for trial.
> And in each case the plaintiff is almost certainly sick with
> mesothelioma or cancer.
>
> No one else claiming "asbestosis" has yet filed a pulmonology report
> showing diminished lung capacity. This means that only one-third of 1%
> of all those people who have filed suit claiming they were sick with
> asbestosis have actually had a qualified and impartial doctor agree
> that they have an asbestos-caused illness.
>
> Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy
> plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to
> $150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in
> the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in
> defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.
>
> The full costs of large settlements and runaway malpractice suits may
> never be known. But it is clear that the costs were paid for by
> consumers through the increased price of goods, by pensioners through
> diminished stock prices, and by workers through lost jobs. Another
> group often overlooked is those who are priced out of health care, or
> who didn't receive charity care because doctors were squeezed by tort
> lawyers. Frivolous lawsuits hit the uninsured the hardest.
>
> In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's
> civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas
> Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance
> companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving
> doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive
> malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies
> competing for business. This is driving rates down.
>
> The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State
> Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new
> medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog
> of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature
> rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.
On May 17, 7:09 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote:Much of this
alleged negligence eg babies born with cerebral palsy is just natural
illness and not the fault of the doctors. <<
Actually the rate of cerebral palsy coincides with the implementation
of iron fortified food to our existence.
The iron feeds pathogens and cerebral palsy has been shown to be
linked to womb infection.
Then we come to baby brain damage which closely resembles this disease
which is very common in newborns of iron supplemented expectant
mothers.
One third of pregnant women never deliver a healthy baby.
On May 17, 7:09 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote: Recently the
Canadian govt gave over millions to a man who had been
handed to the Syrians and 'tortured' for a year. The politicans love
handing over the taxpayers money to militants. <<
The government hands out money to each other.
This 'militant' was found to be not guilty of his crimes and was
rewarded for his bravery when he was found to have been tortured
BECAUSE of the FACT .. he was left high and dry by the governments of
both Canada and the United States ..
If I remember correctly he was handed over to the United States who
promptly handed him over to the Syrians who then dined on one of his
nuts and ass raped him until he .. fkg .. near .. died.
Then we find out .. NONE ..of the above had to happen because he was
denied his .. **rights** ..
Now the fact YOU call him a terrorist .. and he was found NOT GUILTY
of BEING a .. terrorist .. makes one wonder whether YOU .. habshi ..
are .. a terrorist ..
Habshi ..
Hmmmm ..
Is that .. Syrian .. ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
>
> excerpt
> http :// online.wsj,com
>
> That confrontation fizzled, however, and before long Texas
> succeeded at enacting two simple but effective reforms. One capped
> medical malpractice awards for noneconomic damages at $250,000,
> changed the burden of proof for claiming injury for emergency room
> care from simple negligence to "willful and wanton neglect," and
> required that an independent medical expert file a report in support
> of the claimant.
>
> This has allowed doctors and hospitals to cut costs and even increase
> the resources devoted to charity care. Take Christus Health, a
> nonprofit Catholic health system across the state. Thanks to tort
> reform, over the past four years Christus saved $100 million that it
> otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher
> insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor
> patients.
>
> One judge now makes all pretrial discovery and evidence rulings,
> including the validity of expert doctor reports, for all cases. This
> creates legal consistency and virtually eliminates "venue shopping" –
> a process by which trial lawyers file briefs in districts that they
> know will be friendly to frivolous suits. Trials still occur in
> plaintiffs' home counties.
>
> More change sailed through the legislature in 2005; tort reform had
> become popular with voters and lobbying against it was ineffectual.
> The 2005 reform created minimum medical standards to prove an injury
> in asbestos and silica cases. Now plaintiffs must show diminished lung
> capacity in addition to an X-ray indicating disease.
>
> In sum, these reforms have worked wonders. There are about 85,000
> asbestos plaintiffs in Texas. Under the old system, each would be
> advancing in the courts. But in the four years since the creation of
> MDLs, only 300 plaintiffs' cases have been certified ready for trial.
> And in each case the plaintiff is almost certainly sick with
> mesothelioma or cancer.
>
> No one else claiming "asbestosis" has yet filed a pulmonology report
> showing diminished lung capacity. This means that only one-third of 1%
> of all those people who have filed suit claiming they were sick with
> asbestosis have actually had a qualified and impartial doctor agree
> that they have an asbestos-caused illness.
>
> Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy
> plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to
> $150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in
> the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in
> defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.
>
> The full costs of large settlements and runaway malpractice suits may
> never be known. But it is clear that the costs were paid for by
> consumers through the increased price of goods, by pensioners through
> diminished stock prices, and by workers through lost jobs. Another
> group often overlooked is those who are priced out of health care, or
> who didn't receive charity care because doctors were squeezed by tort
> lawyers. Frivolous lawsuits hit the uninsured the hardest.
>
> In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's
> civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas
> Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance
> companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving
> doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive
> malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies
> competing for business. This is driving rates down.
>
> The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State
> Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new
> medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog
> of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature
> rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.
Re: Doctors invade Texas after limits on malpractice payments
Is there any disease on this planet not linked to iron?
Are you a fanatic?
Is there any disease on this planet not linked to iron?
Are you a fanatic?
Re: Doctors invade Texas after limits on malpractice payments
On May 18, 4:14 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote:
Is there any disease on this planet not linked to iron?
Are you a fanatic? <<
Are you .. Syrian .. ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
On May 18, 4:14 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote:
Is there any disease on this planet not linked to iron?
Are you a fanatic? <<
Are you .. Syrian .. ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
Re: Doctors invade Texas after limits on malpractice payments
On May 17, 7:09 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote:injury for
emergency room
care <<
I've wondered about this.
One might think with the voice recognition computer systems they have
now the computer could .. 'make the call' .. and this would render any
stupidity and / or ignorance .. out of the question?
One might then have to simply check to see whether the doctor on call
made any heroic decisions when in FACT no heroic decisions HAD to be
made .. ?
I've seen them in Emergency as they searched through their books and
computers for the answer .
When in fact this burden could be alleviated somewhat by .. ?
Speaking into the microphone .. ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
> Much of this alleged negligence eg babies born with cerebral
> palsy is just natural illness and not the fault of the doctors.
> Recently the Canadian govt gave over millions to a man who had been
> handed to the Syrians and 'tortured' for a year. The politicans love
> handing over the taxpayers money to militants.
>
> excerpt
> http :// online.wsj,com
>
> That confrontation fizzled, however, and before long Texas
> succeeded at enacting two simple but effective reforms. One capped
> medical malpractice awards for noneconomic damages at $250,000,
> changed the burden of proof for claiming injury for emergency room
> care from simple negligence to "willful and wanton neglect," and
> required that an independent medical expert file a report in support
> of the claimant.
>
> This has allowed doctors and hospitals to cut costs and even increase
> the resources devoted to charity care. Take Christus Health, a
> nonprofit Catholic health system across the state. Thanks to tort
> reform, over the past four years Christus saved $100 million that it
> otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher
> insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor
> patients.
>
> One judge now makes all pretrial discovery and evidence rulings,
> including the validity of expert doctor reports, for all cases. This
> creates legal consistency and virtually eliminates "venue shopping" –
> a process by which trial lawyers file briefs in districts that they
> know will be friendly to frivolous suits. Trials still occur in
> plaintiffs' home counties.
>
> More change sailed through the legislature in 2005; tort reform had
> become popular with voters and lobbying against it was ineffectual.
> The 2005 reform created minimum medical standards to prove an injury
> in asbestos and silica cases. Now plaintiffs must show diminished lung
> capacity in addition to an X-ray indicating disease.
>
> In sum, these reforms have worked wonders. There are about 85,000
> asbestos plaintiffs in Texas. Under the old system, each would be
> advancing in the courts. But in the four years since the creation of
> MDLs, only 300 plaintiffs' cases have been certified ready for trial.
> And in each case the plaintiff is almost certainly sick with
> mesothelioma or cancer.
>
> No one else claiming "asbestosis" has yet filed a pulmonology report
> showing diminished lung capacity. This means that only one-third of 1%
> of all those people who have filed suit claiming they were sick with
> asbestosis have actually had a qualified and impartial doctor agree
> that they have an asbestos-caused illness.
>
> Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy
> plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to
> $150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in
> the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in
> defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.
>
> The full costs of large settlements and runaway malpractice suits may
> never be known. But it is clear that the costs were paid for by
> consumers through the increased price of goods, by pensioners through
> diminished stock prices, and by workers through lost jobs. Another
> group often overlooked is those who are priced out of health care, or
> who didn't receive charity care because doctors were squeezed by tort
> lawyers. Frivolous lawsuits hit the uninsured the hardest.
>
> In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's
> civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas
> Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance
> companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving
> doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive
> malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies
> competing for business. This is driving rates down.
>
> The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State
> Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new
> medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog
> of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature
> rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.
On May 17, 7:09 am, hab...@anony,com (habshi) wrote:injury for
emergency room
care <<
I've wondered about this.
One might think with the voice recognition computer systems they have
now the computer could .. 'make the call' .. and this would render any
stupidity and / or ignorance .. out of the question?
One might then have to simply check to see whether the doctor on call
made any heroic decisions when in FACT no heroic decisions HAD to be
made .. ?
I've seen them in Emergency as they searched through their books and
computers for the answer .
When in fact this burden could be alleviated somewhat by .. ?
Speaking into the microphone .. ?
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http :// tinyurl,com /2r2nkh
Man Is A Herbivore!
http :// tinyurl,com /a3cc3
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http :// tinyurl,com /zk9fk
> Much of this alleged negligence eg babies born with cerebral
> palsy is just natural illness and not the fault of the doctors.
> Recently the Canadian govt gave over millions to a man who had been
> handed to the Syrians and 'tortured' for a year. The politicans love
> handing over the taxpayers money to militants.
>
> excerpt
> http :// online.wsj,com
>
> That confrontation fizzled, however, and before long Texas
> succeeded at enacting two simple but effective reforms. One capped
> medical malpractice awards for noneconomic damages at $250,000,
> changed the burden of proof for claiming injury for emergency room
> care from simple negligence to "willful and wanton neglect," and
> required that an independent medical expert file a report in support
> of the claimant.
>
> This has allowed doctors and hospitals to cut costs and even increase
> the resources devoted to charity care. Take Christus Health, a
> nonprofit Catholic health system across the state. Thanks to tort
> reform, over the past four years Christus saved $100 million that it
> otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher
> insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor
> patients.
>
> One judge now makes all pretrial discovery and evidence rulings,
> including the validity of expert doctor reports, for all cases. This
> creates legal consistency and virtually eliminates "venue shopping" –
> a process by which trial lawyers file briefs in districts that they
> know will be friendly to frivolous suits. Trials still occur in
> plaintiffs' home counties.
>
> More change sailed through the legislature in 2005; tort reform had
> become popular with voters and lobbying against it was ineffectual.
> The 2005 reform created minimum medical standards to prove an injury
> in asbestos and silica cases. Now plaintiffs must show diminished lung
> capacity in addition to an X-ray indicating disease.
>
> In sum, these reforms have worked wonders. There are about 85,000
> asbestos plaintiffs in Texas. Under the old system, each would be
> advancing in the courts. But in the four years since the creation of
> MDLs, only 300 plaintiffs' cases have been certified ready for trial.
> And in each case the plaintiff is almost certainly sick with
> mesothelioma or cancer.
>
> No one else claiming "asbestosis" has yet filed a pulmonology report
> showing diminished lung capacity. This means that only one-third of 1%
> of all those people who have filed suit claiming they were sick with
> asbestosis have actually had a qualified and impartial doctor agree
> that they have an asbestos-caused illness.
>
> Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy
> plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to
> $150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in
> the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in
> defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.
>
> The full costs of large settlements and runaway malpractice suits may
> never be known. But it is clear that the costs were paid for by
> consumers through the increased price of goods, by pensioners through
> diminished stock prices, and by workers through lost jobs. Another
> group often overlooked is those who are priced out of health care, or
> who didn't receive charity care because doctors were squeezed by tort
> lawyers. Frivolous lawsuits hit the uninsured the hardest.
>
> In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's
> civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas
> Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance
> companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving
> doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive
> malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies
> competing for business. This is driving rates down.
>
> The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State
> Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new
> medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog
> of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature
> rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.
