NYT Opines on Med Mal and Health Care Reform

Here's an editorial from the New York Times, published June 17, 2009:

Malpractice and Health Care Reform

President Obama’s promise to help doctors limit their vulnerability to malpractice lawsuits is a reasonable offer, but only if malpractice reform is done carefully.
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NEJM Looks at Medical Liability in Health Care Reform

The New England Journal of Medicine takes a look at medical liability reform at the federal level. The article, The Role of Medical Liability Reform in Federal Health Care Reform, provides a bit of background on the topic of tort reform and sees "at least three reasons why government champions of health care reform might consider bundling medical liability reform. These are: defensive medicine, physician support, and to attract Republican support. For more details, please read the article here: medical liability in health care reform.

New York Med Mal Payouts Stable

An article in the Insurance Journal reports Data Show New York Malpractice Payouts Steady.

"The federal data show 2,000 to 2,400 malpractice payments in New York each of the past 15 years. Total payments were $515 million in 1993. Horner said after adjusting for inflation, the cost has held relatively stable."

This in light of consumer advocates pushing to extend statute of limitations. See previous post.

New York Considers Change in Statute of Limitations for Medical Negligence Lawsuits

ALBANY, NY — A group of cancer patients and victims families in New York is pressing the legislature there to revise the malpractice laws to change the start date of the 2 1/2-year statute of limitations on medical negligence lawsuits from the date of discovery instead of from the time the medical mistake is made.

Read more on the Legislative Gazette: Patients should have more time to file malpractice suits, say advocates.