-Source-Town Hall-
Healthcare is broken in the United States. Both parties seem averse to the idea of creating a viable, workable solution. The Affordable Care Act many times isn’t. Premium increases continue to far exceed the inflation rate. Republicans need a cohesive, operational plan to win the debate on health care coverage and possess a plethora of ways to achieve said goal. While repeal and replace was a campaign mantra for the GOP, it is past time to deliver on one of their biggest unfulfilled promises. America currently has an extremely costly and inefficient system.
From overly expensive drug prices, hefty regulations, and an exorbitant number of proposed alternatives to America’s healthcare policy, figuring out where to start can be cumbersome. The first problem that needs to be addressed is the matter of medical malpractice. America is one of the most litigious countries on the planet. While its legal system is often touted as the envy of the world, its tort structure is flawed in certain cases. Medical malpractice lawsuits are the lifeblood of trial lawyers and the nightmare of esteemed physicians. The ease with which a case can be brought against a hospital and/or its doctors is frightening to those who work in the medical industry. Doctors are basically forced to practice preventative medicine in order to protect their jobs and decrease the likelihood of litigation. Nearly 75% of all clinicians will be named in a liability claim over the course of their professional careers.
Charles Krauthammer, revered conservative writer and graduate of Harvard Medical School, described this issue by saying, “When I went to school, the smart kids either went into medicine or law. The smartest were the ones who went into law because they made the laws that have essentially taxed and stolen the income of the doctors.” In this segment, Krauthammer points to a study done by the Massachusetts Medical Society. The study found that nearly half of physicians reported they were “very concerned” about a malpractice lawsuit impacting their work. Similarly, thirteen to thirty percent of all “MRI’s, CT scans, and referrals/consultations” were said to be motivated by medical liability concerns. Read more