More excellent diagnostic work by physicians:

Problem: High insurance rates

Solution: Harm those already injured by

"Plac[ing] a reasonable cap ($350,000 to $1,050,000, depending on the number of defendants and details of the case) on non-economic damages. Patients could still recover an unlimited amount for all economic damages, including health care costs and lost wages."

Great work. Give this man a raise!!

CJD

"Less than half -- 44.7 percent -- of doctors with five or more malpractice payouts have been disciplined by Washington authorities or a state medical board, according to a recent Public Citizen study. Currently, the few bad doctors who cause the majority of medical malpractice incidents have no incentive to change their ways. I-336 will make this small population of bad doctors accountable for their actions.

I-336 eliminates secrecy agreements that repeat offending doctors use to hide their medical negligence histories when settling cases. Typically, malpractice settlements include binding secrecy agreements that hide the doctor's name from ever being known. I-336 would lift the veil to protect families like ours who thought they'd done sufficient homework on their doctor.

I-336 will force insurance companies to open their books and publicly justify rate hikes to protect good doctors from insurance price gouging and prove they need rate increases of more than 15 percent.

I-336 will strengthen our civil justice system by holding attorneys accountable by requiring them to submit a certificate of merit when they file a case, and sanctions lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits.

I-336 will also add two citizen members to the Medical Quality Assurance Commission, an organization that is overwhelmingly comprised of doctors. It would also outlaw secrecy agreements, ensuring that public safety comes before a bad doctor's reputation.

Unlike insurance-backed initiatives, I-336 ensures that injured patients continue to have their constitutional right to their day in court. I-336 does not mandate arbitration or a jury trial but gives injured patients, not insurance companies, the freedom to choose."

This woman already worked part-time and was still making 80k per year. She has two young children with a husband who makes well into the six figures. She's making a lifestyle choice that although I don't deny she feels the "pain" of high malpractice premiums, that's hardly a major consideration in her decision. She's perfectly willing to say it's the only criteria in order to pimp for the caps. No matter how smart, well-educated, and caring Dr. Conaghan is, she's lying in this case (maybe it's self-delusion as well).

"She's perfectly willing to say it's the only criteria in order to pimp for the caps."

Elliott, isn't that simple economics, just market forces at work. Some buyers opt out at certain prices and we lose those customers.
She did not specifically state that the cost of malpractice premium was the only reason.

Elliot,

Where do you gather your information? Do you know her personally, or are you just making up assumptions?

"Elliot: What's your phone number? How about Cares (about) Just Dough? (CJD)"

They use the same number. It's
1-800-JACKPOT

You doctors are vile and abusive. Eliot is trying to engage in a rational discussion and you call him a sodomite--an odd term of derision from people who earn the bread sticking their fingers up peoples' butts.

For the life of me I don't understand why you guys respond to Elliot and CJD. These guys have a vested interest in keeping the system the way it is. The fact is that vast majority of people injured by the medical system are not compenstated. Additionally, the vast majority of malpractice suits result in no payment to the plantiffs. This is not good for doctors or patients. There are systems in the world that work much better than our own. I suggest anyone interested look up (google) the Scandanivian (specifically the swedish) system. Fault is taken out of the system, more patients are compensated than our own, if needed negligent docs are referred to their medical boards, and most importantly the middleman who siphon off 40%-60% of the money are taken out of the equation. It is better for everyone (except the lawyers).

"an odd term of derision from people who earn the bread sticking their fingers up peoples' butts"

We rarely do that anymore. If we tear a rectum CJD or Elliot will sue us, so instead we just order Cat Scans and Blood tests. Physical exams are for doctors in other (less litigious) countries.

"Cause I can't legally do what should be done to the sodomites, especially with what they do to us and our profession."

I think we all know that someone who is too scared to even identify themselves by a pseudonym wouldn't do much even if he could, don't we.

CJD

in Arkansas, 80% of the population is inbred?

Dr. Bennet?

How about this one:

"Did you hear about the lawyer hurt in an accident?"
"No. What happened?"
"An ambulance stopped suddenly."

And how about this one:

Q:Why won't sharks attack lawyers?

A:Professional courtesy.

Guys, they tell those to first year law students. Don't you have anything current? Fresh?

I'm really disappointed in you.

" Yet physicians foolishly believe that the public will continue to give them immunity without guaranteed health care."

No, physicians are quitting to get away from the Lawyer shenanigans. For a short list (thousands of doctors!) who quit or moved to a less litigous state see:

http://www.fightingdocs.com/main/disappearing_docs.html

I love it when you guys use states like Pennsylvania as your "proof". It just illustrates how little you know about how your insurance rates are determined and what's really going on. Pennsyvlania is about the worst state to use to blame your malpractice ills (even the fictional ones) on the victims of malpractice.

Ignorance is bliss, I guess.

CJD

"Pennsyvlania is about the worst state to use to blame your malpractice ills (even the fictional ones) on the victims of malpractice."

I wouldn't know the answer to this one CJD. Every single doctor I knew (100%) from Pennsylvania has left the state. There's no-one left to ask. Nice Job, sodomites.

"I should have known I was dealing with a lesser intellect."

Your brother=father=uncle must be real smart.