North Carolina lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill that would address medical malpractice lawsuits. Tort reform has always been talked about in Raleigh, but the Democrats held the majority and they are beholden to the trial lawyers. Now there is a new sheriff in town, and the Republicans have decided to put this issue on the front burner:
Too many doctors have to pay expensive malpractice insurance and end up running too many tests of patients to protect themselves from litigation, said Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, one of the Senate bill's chief sponsors. Both trends lead to higher health care costs and insurance premium costs for businesses, and could be pushing some physicians out of business altogether, he said
Physicians are praising the new Republican majority for taking a stand against rapacious trial lawyers:
The North Carolina Medical Society, which represents 12,000 licensed physicians, or about 70 percent of the state's practicing doctors, praised the Legislature for being willing to take up medical liability issues. While the malpractice insurance market is stable right now, the premiums remain high, said Bob Seligson, the society's executive vice president and chief executive.
If you listen closely, I believe you can hear the famous North Carolina trial lawyer, John Edwards channeling his diminishing cash cow.
Source: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110201/APN/1102011942?p=2&tc=pg
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