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JUST THE
FACTS: Once you
understand the facts about tort
reform, you'll know it's not the
solution to the malpractice "crisis." |
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1.
Mythbuster: Things Your Doctor Won't Tell You -
Read
It
2.
The Truth About the Medical Malpractice Insurance
"Crisis" in Pennsylvania - A
point-by-point expose of the bogus case for tort
reform. Read It
3. Fibs vs. Facts - Everything the medical
lobby doesn't want you to know about tort reform. Read
It
4. Questions & Answers - The medical malpractice insurance "crisis" is a
complex issue. Here are some answers to the most
commonly asked questions. Read It
5. Patient Safety - By the Numbers. Read
It
6. More fact sheets from the American Trial
Lawyers Association. Read
It |
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The Numbers
Tell the Story
The above chart, which compiles publicly
available data from PA government agencies,
shows that, contrary to the claims of tort
reform proponents, lawsuits and malpractice
awards continue to plummet in Pennsylvania,
while insurance companies continue to jack up
insurance premiums for doctors and hospitals.
In addition, serious medical errors are on the
rise, even as the number of lawsuits has
continued to drop. SEE
CHART |
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1. Do
Caps Reduce Malpractice Premiums? - Graph shows
premiums averaged across several high-risk specialties are 16% higher in
states without damage caps. View
It
2. Do Caps Prevent Large Premium Increases? -
Graph shows premium increases in states with and without
caps were the same in 2002. View
It
3. Do Caps Attract Insurers? - Bar chart shows
states with and without caps have the same number of
insurers. View
It
4. Premiums and Damage Caps State by State -
Chart shows average premiums in states with and without
caps. View
It
5. What Exactly Does the AMA Mean by "Crisis"? -
Graph shows average premium increases were the same in
"okay," "problem" and
"crisis" states. Shows that the labeling is
political, not real. View
It
6. Does Being in "Crisis" Mean
Anything? - Chart shows 10 of the top 20 places to
practice medicine were "in crisis," according
to the American Medical Association. The rest were
showing "problem signs." View
It
7. How Are Insurer Investments Doing? - Graph
shows insurer investments dropped by almost 75 percent
over the past decade. View
It |
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Mythbuster: Two Dozen Things Your Doctor Won't Tell You About
"Tort Reform" -
Comprehensive overview of myths vs. facts.
"Rendell:
Medical malpractice crisis is over" - Oct. 25,
2007
"Medical
Malpractice Litigation in Pennsylvania"
- PA Bar Association, May 2006
"Insurance
'Crisis' Officially Over - Medical Malpractice Rates Have Been Stable for a Year"
- Americans for Insurance Reform, February 2006
"Hurt?
Injured? Need a Lawyer? Too Bad!" - Texas
Monthly, December 2005
"The
Truth About Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse"
"Rising
Premiums and Falling Claims in the Medical Malpractice
Insurance Industry" - Center for Justice &
Democracy, July 2005
"Medical
Malpractice Payout Trends 1991-2004: Evidence Shows
Lawsuits Haven't Caused Doctors' Insurance Woes"
- Public Citizen, April 2005
"Stability, Not Crisis: Medical Malpractice Claims
Outcomes in Texas, 1988-2002"
| Summary
"Faulty
Data and False Conclusions: The Myth of Skyrocketing
Medical Malpractice Verdicts" - Commonweal
Institute, October 2004
Executive Summary | Full
Report
"The
Effect of Malpractice Liability on the Delivery of
Health Care" - National Bureau of Economic
Research finds no connection between lawsuits and
premium hikes.
"The Facts About Medical Malpractice in
Pennsylvania" - Public Citizen, March 2004,
Executive Summary. Full
report
"A
Short Guide to Understanding Today's Malpractice 'Crisis'" - Center for
Justice for Democracy, September 2002
"Injustice
in the Wake of the False Promise of Tort Reform" -
Attorney Michael J. Foley, Scranton, Pa. |
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Copyright © The Committee for Justice
for All
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