Improving Medical Malpractice Insurance Costs Critical to Healthcare Reform
side note: This article references a letter by the president of the Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society that states, without reforming the inefficiencies of the current medical liability system, physicians must make tough decisions, which includes altering or limiting their services because of liability concerns, which impedes patient access to care. With Baby Boomers retiring at staggering amounts, we need to ensure that they have access to the care they need.
As U.S. legislators continue their debate on possible health care reform, one topic has been frequently left out of the discussion: controlling medical liability costs.
The president of the Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society addressed that issue in a letter he sent recently to Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators and congressional representatives, which included ways to make the medical liability system more economically efficient.
In the letter, Dr. Eric L. Zager said the U.S. cannot control soaring health care costs without reforming the inefficiencies of the current medical liability system.
“As insurance becomes unaffordable or unavailable, physicians must make tough decisions, including altering or limiting their services because of liability concerns, which impedes patient access to care,” Zager wrote
