Thanks Mr. Studdert for giving us the study that highlights the glaring flaws of our malpractice system. No matter how it is spun, the numbers clearly speak for themselves:

Finally, the fact that payment was made in 19 percent of claims with little-to-no evidence of error and 32 percent in a slight-to-modest evidence of error is evidence enough that the tort system is woefully inadequate from the physician’s perspective. Add into that the fact that the median time to closure was five years.

It is no wonder, then, that physicians will be incentivized to order tests and perform procedures to avoid being sued, whether such tactics work or not. That cost almost certainly outweighs the total cost of professional liability premiums physicians pay in the United States.

It is helpful to think about a group ‚- a large group – not mentioned in the study. There are currently 46 million uninsured Americans. Improving the medical malpractice system would lessen the costs of defensive medicine, which would provide a stable source of funding for health insurance – and better healthcare and a better quality of life — for every American.