'Now, I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I've talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs. So -- so -- so I'm proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. I know...
... I know that the Bush administration considered authorizing demonstration projects in individual states to test these ideas. I think it's a good idea, and I'm directing my secretary of health and human services to move forward on this initiative today.'
President Obama
your administrators thank maria basile md for this link to Bush initiatives
'defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs'
ReplyDeletei guess it all depends upon what 'unnecessary' is!
While medical liability (not counting 'defensive medicine) accounts for just 2% of what is spent on health care, its burden falls disproportionately upon physicians (trial bar won't say that)
now health care reform ($1.2 trillion) would account for just 3.5% of total health care spending during the proposed 10 year period.
it would be truly shameful if it is the democrats themselves that stall healthcare reform due to their own inability to drop the hammer on the 'unnecessary' .
rhetoric. Say something and mean nothing.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate our elected officials think they work for lawyers rather than the people.
The only way we can change it is to demonstrate to them that we are the voting public and we elect them to office.
brian mcginley, md
notice how he skirts around the issue, never specifically saying that he will support tort reform. "putting patient safety first and letting doctors focus on practicing medicine"
ReplyDeleteNice dodge, Barack
DK
The more I think about this I think he’s referring to the PSOs- patient safety organizations….which are not going to affect the premiums for physicians in private practice.
ReplyDeleteIf this is the case, he needs to think more broadly.
anonymous
FROM: AMA Health System Reform Update
ReplyDeletePresident Obama announces medical liability initiative, responds to AMA call to address cost of defensive medicine
In his health reform address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama announced that he has directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services to begin work immediately to offer state demonstration grants on alternative medical liability reforms. The announcement follows months of dialogue with the president, senior White House officials, AMA leadership and advocacy staff, beginning immediately after the elections.
During a meeting in May with President Obama, AMA President J. James Rohack, MD, linked the cost of defensive medicine to desires to "bend the spending curve" and urged consideration of "safe harbors" for physicians adhering to best practice guidelines. In addition, the AMA has advocated funding for states to test health courts, early offer programs and certificates of merit to dispense with nonmeritorious claims.
This concept of state pilots to test alternatives has been previously advanced in legislation sponsored by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). In July, the House Energy and Commerce Committee adopted an amendment to H.R. 3200 that provided state grants to test early offer and certificate-of-merit programs.
At the federal level, caps on noneconomic damages have created a challenge for the AMA and state medical societies. When Republicans held a majority in the Senate and an effort was made to secure Democratic support for caps on noneconomic damages, the discussion focused on a $500,000 cap with exceptions for certain cases. Some Republican senators also expressed support for exceptions to a noneconomic damages cap. The AMA has consistently opposed federal proposals that would undermine effective state laws such as those in California, Texas, Louisiana, Indiana, Kansas, Georgia and Mississippi.
The state pilot projects announced by President Obama will be administered by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The AMA will provide additional information on this initiative as soon as it is available.