May 16, 2011 by matray

By an overwhelming majority, the Republican-ruled Virginia House of Delegates rejected Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell’s veto of a bill that would boost the limit on court awards in medical malpractice lawsuits. The bill represented a compromise among Virginia’s doctors, insurers and attorneys with strong bipartisan support in the House and… Continue reading...

May 9, 2011 by matray

Last month, the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) wrote a letter to both the chairman and ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Health expressing “strong, bipartisan opposition to the passage of the latest federal medical malpractice legislation, HR 5, the ‘Help Efficient Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act… Continue reading...

May 4, 2011 by matray

side note: Here's an interesting article that I almost missed. It's written by Joanne Doroshow of the Center for Justice & Democracy, and she uses Congressional Budget Office (CBO) numbers to argue that tort reform -- specifically the HEALTH Act being considered in Congress -- would actually increase the deficit… Continue reading...

April 7, 2011 by matray

Declaring New York State “functionally bankrupt” in February, newly-elected Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed a $132.9 billion budget that would reduce year-to-year spending for the first time in more than a decade. Key to his proposal was slashing the state’s projected healthcare spending, specifically cutting $2.85 billion in Medicaid funding for… Continue reading...

March 29, 2011 by matray

side note: Here is an article that shows the conflict of interest that is inherent in our current system of medical liability, and outlines a reform idea worth closer inspection. While sovereign immunity is doubtful, it is an academic argument worth exploring. It's been a year since health care reform… Continue reading...

March 16, 2011 by matray

side note: Right now, Wisconsin is ground zero in the labor rights fight, but the villain Gov. Scott Walker pushed through a tort reform measure during an emergency session he called during his first week in office. Below is a synopsis by the Wisconsin Trial Bar of the tort reform… Continue reading...

March 7, 2011 by matray

side note: With all the cost-cutting that is proposed at both federal and state levels, this is an especially prescient report. As the healthcare industry, employers and government officials seek to control the growth of health spending, new efforts are needed to develop and refine quality-of-care and other performance measures… Continue reading...

March 3, 2011 by matray

On Feb. 10, Representatives Bob Good-latte and Dan Boren announced the creation of a bipartisan legal reform caucus, the Congressional Civil Justice Caucus. Goodlatte and Boren will serve as co-chairs of the newly formed caucus. According to the congressmen, the Congressional Civil Justice Caucus will serve as a forum for… Continue reading...

March 2, 2011 by matray

side note: If this isn't a strong argument that New York's medical liability climate threatens access to care, I do not know what would be. A malpractice insurance company has threatened not to renew coverage for eight Bronx obstetricians who treat poor, high-risk patients. The New York Times reports that… Continue reading...

March 1, 2011 by matray

side note: Here's an unusual piece of politics. The Democratic Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, is proposing malpractice damage caps to heal the state's economic woes. With the intention of re-structuring New York’s Medicaid system, Governor Cuomo is urging various changes to how medical malpractice suits are resolved. Primarily,… Continue reading...