Facts on how Insurance Companies spend millions manipulating doctors and politicians
|
| Fact |
|
|
| MEDICAL ERROR IS THE 3RD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association |
| Reference |
Journal of the American Medical Association, July 26, 2000. |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
|
|
| Malpractice lawsuits dropped 30% statewide in 2003 and 58% in Philadelphia. Fewer than 2000 medical cases were filed statewide in 2003 resulting in huge profits for greedy insurance companies, which raised instead of lowered premiums for doctors. |
|
Reference
|
Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts press release, March 19, 2004. |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| Pennsylvania is NOT LOSING DOCTORS! The number of physicians licensed to practice in the state increased by more than 1,000 between 2000 and 2002, according to Pennslvania's Insurance Commissioner. Pennsylvania Medical Society Director of Research Steve Foreman says that the number of physicians increased by more than 800 in 2003. Our state gained exactly 1,000 doctors between 2000 and 2002 as testified to by Insurance Commissioner Diane Koken on November 3, 2003 before the Insurance and Banking Committee. |
|
Reference
|
Nov. 3, 2003: A letter from the Insurance Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to Senators Armstrong, Wagner, Greenleaf and Costa. |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Allentown Morning Call Newspaper Article, April 18, 2004, "Diagnosis of the numbers shows doctors not leaving state in droves" |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
The number of doctors rose 5.6 % from 1994 through 2002 according to the March 2004 report of Public Citizen, "The Facts About Medical malpractice in Pennsylvania". |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| The National Institute of Medicine says 98,000 patients die each year in hospitals and hundreds of thousands suffer serious injuries from medical mistakes. |
|
Reference
|
"To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System", Institute of Medicine, Nov. 1999 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
'No End to Errors', Washington Post Nov. 30, 2002 |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
|
On April 24, 2004, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department approved another 17 medical malpractice insurance entities to provide coverage in the Commonwealth for physicians and hospitals.
That same Department's marketshare report of 2002 showed 139 malpractice carriers offering coverage. Licensed and approved insurance carriers are re-entering the Pennsylvania market in larger numbers. |
|
|
|
| Fact |
| More than 7,000 patients die each year in and out of hospitals from medication errors alone. |
|
Reference
|
Medical Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania: Challenging the Medical Malpractice Claims of the Doctor's Lobby |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
"To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System", Institute of Medicine, Nov. 1999 |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| PA has the 5th largest population of practicing doctors...but ranks 36th in disciplining its bad physicians. Pennsylvania's physicians who repeatedly commit malpractice are rarely disciplined either by the Medical Community or the state Medical Licensing Board. Pennsylvania has the 5th largest population of practicing doctors . . but ranks among the ten worst in the country in disciplining physicians who commit medical error. Pennsylvania ranks worst of all 50 states for the smallest number of doctors who cause the most errors, according to Public Citizen and the federal government's national Practitioner Data Bank. |
|
Reference
|
Medical Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania: Challenging the Medical Malpractice Claims of the Doctor's Lobby |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| Legislators are protecting bad doctors and hospitals whose preventable medical mistakes are killing patients. The Institute of Medicine and Public Citizen reported thatn 4277 hospital patients died from medical mistakes in Pennsylvania in 2003 yet new laws cut down medical lawsuits for death and serious injuries to less than 2000. Politicians will soon be voting to deny every patient access to the Courts from medical error! |
|
Reference
|
The Facts About Medical Malpractice in Pennsylvania |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| 4.7 % of Pennsylvania's doctors are responsible for 51.4% of all malpractice claims paid out! This ranks PA WORST AMONG ALL 50 STATES! |
|
Reference
|
Medical Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania: Challenging the Medical Malpractice Claims of the Doctor's Lobby |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| "Physician Number 64625", licensed to practice surgery in Pennsylvania, paid 24 medical malpractice claims for improper surgery between 1989 and 2001. The doctor has never been disciplined! Is that right? |
|
Reference
|
Medical Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania: Challenging the Medical Malpractice Claims of the Doctor's Lobby |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| In 1976, California passed a law capping damages at $250,000 arising from medical error. Insurance premiums rose approximately 450% from 1976 to 1988. Frustrated that limiting patients' recoveries from mistakes did not work, California adopted Proposition 103, a tight regulatory system for casualty insurance companies to comply with. Since the insurance reform was passed in 1988, California malpractice premiums have not risen. |
|
Reference
|
Factsheets Reports Medical Malpractice Five Dangerous Myths About California's Medical Malpractice Restrictions |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
"How to Address the Insurance and Malpractice Crises." |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Testimony of Harvey Rosenfield The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations February 10, 2003 Langhorne, Pennsylvania Insurance Regulation vs. Tort Reform |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| The Insurance Industry is pressing to limit recover to $250,000 from medical mistakes for moms, children, and seniors because they do not work. Is that fair? |
|
Reference
|
AFL-CIO letter to the Pennsylvania Senate Judiciary Committee regarding Senate Bill 50 in opposition of Caps on Damages for Any Tort Action |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| The State Directors of Pennsylvania's AARP and the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans testified against caps before the state Senate in September! Shouldn't all seniors do the same? |
|
Reference
|
"State Retiree Organization Fights Tort Reform re Nursing Home", News release from the Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans September 6, 2002 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Statement of Martin Berger, President Pennsylvania's Alliance for Retired Americans on proposed Non-economic Damage Caps in Medical Malpractice Cases, September 22, 2003 |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| Limiting damages will not lower physicians' insurance premiums, according to the June 3, 2002 testimony of Patricia Costante, CEO of MIIX, a malpractice carrier insuring doctors in Pennsylvania. Why give up your rights when caps will not reduce physicians' costs but WILL increase the profits of insurance companies? |
|
Reference
|
"Insurers' Missteps provoke Malpractice 'Crisis' ", Wall Street Journal June 24, 2002 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Statement of Martin Berger, President Pennsylvania's Alliance for Retired Americans on proposed Non-economic Damage Caps in Medical Malpractice Cases, September 22, 2003 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Industry Insiders admit - And History Shows: Tort Reform Will Not Lower Insurance Rates |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| The $250,000 limit on damages is deliberate plan by the insurance industry to prevent attorneys from taking cases of bedsore ridden, malnourished, dehydrated, septic, or sexually abused seniors. Why? Because of the high cost in prosecuting malpractice cases. Caps will also immunize the nursing home industry from being held accountable for its mistakes. |
|
Reference
|
"The Medical Liability Insurance Crisis: A Review of the Situation in Pennsylvania" February 10, 2003 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
"Tort Reform Would Deny Nursing Home Residents Basic Legal Protections and Access to the Courts", Press release from the National Citizens' Coalition for Nursing Home Reform, July 17, 2002 |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| When workers, consumers, and patients are injured through medical mistake and defective products, defendants may be jointly responsible for the harm. WARNING! Insurance companies want to end this 600 year-old doctrine of joint liabillity holding co-defendants responsible when bankrupt and foreign companies (beyond the reach of our courts) cannot pay. |
| Reference |
Senate Bill 1078 |
(Download reference) |
| Fact |
| Pennsylvania law requires hospitals to inform patients in writing of serious consequences from negligent care. Since the law's passage nearly two years ago, medical facilities have refused to comply! Should you surrender rights when the medical community has refused to comply with patient safety requirements? |
|
Reference
|
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania, House Bill 1802, Section 308 |
(Download reference) |
| Other facts |
|
>
|
Graph-Medical Malpractice Premiums: CA vs. US |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Graph-California Medical Malpractice Premiums, 1975-2001 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
Testimony of Harvey Rosenfield The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights Before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health February 27, 2003 Washington, D.C. "Assessing the Need to Enact Medical Liability Reform" |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
How Insurance Reform Lowered Doctors' Medical Malpractice Rates in California And How Malpractice Caps Failed Presented by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization March 7, 2003 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
FTCR Stops '04 Medical Malpractice Rate Hike By CA's 2nd Largest Insurer, Saving Doctors $11 Million: Prop 103 Again Blocks SCPIE From Gouging Physicians. Dec. 19, 2003 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
"Statement of Former California Governor Jerry Brown Concerning MICRA", June 13, 1993 |
(Download reference) |
|
>
|
"Testimony of Robert C. Baker, President, American Board of Trial Lawyers", June 22, 1994 |
(Download reference) |
|
|
Heather's Story |
(Download reference) |
