Insurance

Pain vs. premiums: Who will pay the price in malpractice debate?

February 21, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Doctors say soaring insurance rates drive them out of high-risk specialties; patients argue lawsuit limits would leave some vulnerable to substandard care.</h3><p class="source">The Seattle Times</p> <p>Jennifer Rufer is a young woman from Spanaway who lost her childhood dream of becoming a mother when doctors, misdiagnosing her with cancer, cut out her uterus and part of a lung and dosed her with chemotherapy.</p>

Texas Legislature Launches Heated Debate On Medical Malpractice Reform.

February 20, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">The Bulletin Frontrunner (Texas)</p> <p>Harvey Rosenfield of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights told a House panel that limiting damages to $250,000 would probably not solve the insurance crisis that Texas physicians want lawmakers to address.</p>

Panel tackles cap on damages;

February 20, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>High cost of medical malpractice insurance in Texas sparks debate</h3><p class="source">The Dallas Morning News</p> <p>The Texas Legislature formally launched debate Wednesday over whether to place a cap on medical malpractice lawsuit judgments...</p>

Pain at the pump

February 20, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>The specter of war and other factors send gas prices soaring</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>The current price "is not based on the actual supply available today," said Jamie Court, executive director of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights in Santa Monica. "This is basically wartime profiteering by oil companies."</p>

Critics say bill won’t lower premiums

February 20, 2003  ·  Harvey Rosenfield

<h3>MALPRACTICE: Texas State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, and Rep. Joe Nixon, R-Houston, offer legislation to end "lawsuit lottery" by capping damages.</h3><p class="source">Fort Worth Star Telegram</p> <p>Harvey Rosenfield of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights told a House panel that limiting damages to $250,000 would probably not solve the insurance crisis that Texas physicians want lawmakers to address.</p>

Avoid simplistic solutions to the malpractice crisis

February 19, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">New Jersey Star-Ledger</p> <p>Malpractice reform must leave us with a system that will do right by those who are harmed by mistakes, negligence or malpractice. It should reduce not only premiums and lawsuits but malpractice.</p>

Malpractice insurance: no simple solutions

February 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Miami Herald</p> <p>California's malpractice insurance rates continued to increase despite the 1975 limit and didn't drop until voters passed a 1988 ballot initiative that mandated rollbacks on premiums.</p>

Doctors have put a cap on the truth

February 18, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">New Jersey Star-Ledger</p> <p>The demonstrating doctors have been playing a catchy but monotonous and thoroughly misleading tune about malpractice.</p>

MedMal ‘Crisis’ Hill Action Heats Up, But Divisions May Send Issue To States

February 17, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Insurance Chronicle</p> <p>The issue of medical malpractice liability insurance premiums heated up in Washington last week as hearings on the issue were held in both houses of Congress and various special interest groups jockeyed to make their case to lawmakers.</p>

California Experience

February 16, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Kansas City Star</p> <p>There is an equal argument to be made that premiums in California actually didn't decline until 1988, when voters passed Proposition 103, which gave the state and voters new tools to investigate and limit the insurance industry's rates and practices.</p>

Ballot budgeting considered

February 16, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<h3>Democrats say voters may be needed to do what lawmakers won't.</h3><p class="source">Sacramento Bee</p> <p>California's Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights wants to band together with other groups to change commercial property tax rules, particularly to spare health care programs targeted for deep cuts in the Davis budget.</p>

Place No Cap On Reform

February 14, 2003  ·  Consumer Watchdog

<p class="source">Palm Beach Post</p> <p>California's "successful experience," however, also included a voter-approved rollback of malpractice premiums. The Florida task force recommends nothing like that.</p>