Virginia is tackling the physician shortage problem by offering malpractice immunity:
Parties in the debate call it the most significant matter taken up by justices regarding medical malpractice since 1990, when the court upheld the state’s limit on malpractice awards.If successful, tax-exempt physician foundations in Virginia employing about 1,200 doctors and supporting the state’s three medical schools could win malpractice immunity.
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Great, shelter the academic docs and those employed by big businesses with enough political clout, leaving us small practice docs for the sharks to focus upon and reducing the demand for real malpractice reform.
But won’t it be interesting to see if there’s a difference in care including the kinds of tests, how often ordered, etc, if those docs aren’t worrying about lawsuits? That might expose some of what is driving health care costs up.
10:27 – Oregon had the same thing until recently. Oregon Health Sciences University had a cap on TOTAL liability – not pain and suffering, but TOTAL liability – of $500,000. Half a million was all you could get from the University. A recent court judgement changed that.
This is a common immunity given to many state physicians, facilities and agencies. I am shocked to hear it being given such significant opposition/attention in the face of such obvious benefits.
Give the protection to all physicians or no physicians. I am shocked that you don’t see such an obvious point.
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