Malpractice insurance prevents physicians from volunteering

Another way patients lose with high malpractice premiums:

A retired medical doctor in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho,who wants to donate his time to the Dirne Health Care Center in northern Idaho says he is unable to do so because medical malpractice insurance would cost him at least $10,000.
Norman Leffler, 77, said he wants to work at the center, which has a waiting list of as many as 500 patients.

(via This Makes Me Sick)

Comments

Anonymous
This is actually a good thing…the less help you people get the better…you don’t deserve volunteer care…
Anonymous
It’s all about the patients for these docs who complain about their “high” malpractice premiums. They really all want to work more, but this expense that constitutes less than 5% of their average overhead is truly keeping them from being public servants.
Just give them immunity and their premiums will plummet and they’ll all work for free!
Anonymous
“his expense that constitutes less than 5% of their average overhead is truly keeping them from being public servants.”
If you have cancer in “less than 5%” of your body, it will still kill you. And then you can sue your primary care doctor, you nasty sodomite.
Anonymous
You really think this guy’s overhead is two million dollars?
Anonymous
Actually, that amount would be less than 5% for that clinic, with a budget of $2.6 million, not including profit.
Why should a for-profit enterprise not have to have malpractice coverage?
Anonymous
How many docs already work there? you don’t know. Methinks the JD above is making conclusions without any knowledge. Something he/she loves to accuse docs of all the time.
Anonymous
Presumably, at least one more, lest they’d pony up the $10K, given that they have $2.6 million on the line, don’t you think genius.
Anonymous
One point the comments seem to be missing. It is a 77 year old retired doc who would have to pay 10,000 to volunteer. Malpractice insurance and its premiums is typically a personal responsibility for the doc. Depending on the stucture and funding of the clinic, and its budget, they may not be able to provide it.
Should a retired 77 year old doc pay 10,000 out of pocket to volunteer services and thus expose himself to liability?
I hate to say that at 77, I would not.
Doc_in_KY
Anonymous
What kind of cases are you going to trust a 77 year old retired doc with anyway?
Anonymous
“What kind of cases are you going to trust a 77 year old retired doc with anyway?”
How about the same cases he has cared well for in the past 50 years? It’s not law, he’s not just trying to bring a jury who couldn’t figure out how to bypass jury duty to tears, he’s taking care of patients, which he learned from experience.
Anonymous
But at what age do you think that he should stop? I’m sure that he took very good care of his patients over the years but don’t you think that his sight, hearing or memory could miss something important… like anyone else his age? Just because he’s a physician does not mean that he is super human.
Anonymous
Actually I knew a cardiologist who practiced into his late 80′s. Did he cath…no. But he could read an EKG and diagnose cardiac issues like no one else in the city. Experience counts for a lot.
PS: I agree with above anon that the lawyer is making a conclusion without the information neede.
Anonymous
He’s a doctor, so results don’t really matter anyway. If things go right, he saved the day. If he screws up, oh well, you were going to die someday.
Intellect and skills are irrelevant – getting paid is what matters to these guys.
Anonymous
9:59 is a moron. This guy is trying to VOLUNTEER
Anonymous
Solution:
Have the patients waiting to see him pay $20 for an appointment. Pay the malpractice and let him see the patients. If you can’t cough up $20 to see a doctor, then you don’t really have a problem. $20 is 4 hours work at minimum wage. A doctor’s time is worth 4 hours. (which is about what I pay my accountant, 4 hours of my pay for one hour of his time)
b
Anonymous
Volunteering is fine if you are a teacher not a practicing physician who makes life or death decisions about your loved ones.
Anonymous
Suppose the guy gets to volunteer and receives immunity from malpractice suits. Patients get medical care that they clearly need (500 people on the waiting list), but lose the opportunity to sue the doctor. If he doesn’t volunteer, then they don’t get medical care, and they still can’t sue about it. It’s the Prisoner’s Dilemma – simple game theory – either way, you can’t sue the doctor, so you might as well go with the way that will get you medical care.
Anonymous
Or they could just go to a physician who is covered. Problem solved.
Anonymous
Why would you volunteer to help these a-holes (see postings from ingrates above) anyway?
Anonymous
“Or they could just go to a physician who is covered. Problem solved”
What part of a “500 pt waiting list” are you unclear on?
Don’t you love it when someone pontificates when they have no clue what they are talking about.
Anonymous
Let’s all have a group prayer that the lawyers who contribute to this blog someday end up very ill and get stuck on a 500 person waiting list because no doctor wants to deal with their lame asses.
Anonymous
2:55 It’s a sad state of affairs when some doctor wants himself and his buddys to have a group Prayer that people get very ill and end up on a 500 pt. waiting list.
If someone sued you they must have won.
In addition it is hilarious that you could ever be a doc with anything close to a 500 pt waiting list. I doubt you have any days where there is a 5 pt. waiting list.
maybe you don’t even practice anymore? I bet you are some doc. that lost his license.
Anonymous
Anon:
Instead of throwing out a insult address the question
re: Or they could just go to a physician who is covered. Problem solved”
What part of a “500 pt waiting list” are you unclear on?
Anonymous
” I doubt you have any days where there is a 5 pt. waiting list. “
Wrong again, shit for brains. I’m an ER doc. Typically, I have a 12 HOUR waiting list. Hope you’re on it someday, dying in pain in the waiting room.
Anonymous
He will be…in the U.S. the only things that are certain are death, taxes, and that these assholes will get what they deserve…everyone of them is going to end up waiting to see us in a stinkig E.R. and end up intubated on pressors…ooohhhboooyyeee! I can’t wait!

Malpractice insurance prevents physicians from volunteering

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