Malpractice insurance rates remain high (Texas after "reform")

[Ilsa]

http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/front/story/1641056p-1931791c.html

Malpractice insurance rates remain high

January 26, 2004

AUSTIN (AP) - A controversial amendment to the state's constitution was supposed to lower medical malpractice insurance costs for doctors, but few have seen their rates go down in the four months since voters narrowly approved it.

The state's largest malpractice insurer, the Texas Medical Liability Trust, has lowered rates 12 percent for about 11,000 of the state's 38,000 doctors. Other companies are either holding rates steady or have requested rate increases as high as 35 percent from the state Department of Insurance.

SNIP

But the early signs are not encouraging, said Dan Lambe, executive director of the nonprofit consumer group that led opposition to the amendment. "Promises were made, legal rights were sacrificed, the Texas Constitution was rewritten to appease the insurance industry ... and someone has to answer why we're not seeing relief," Lambe told the Austin American-Statesman for a Sunday story.

SNIP

The article goes on to say that there was a rush of malpractice filings right before the law took effect and the insurance industry has to wait and see how that shakes out before lowering rates. Some companies have already stated they will not lower rates because the caps won't save them much money anyway.

Prop 12 was a political payoff I hope backfires on the Republicans, but I doubt most Texans will notice since they think all of them are Jesus anyway. I just hope the doctors getting spitting mad about it.

[bluestateguy]

1. Chickens come home to roost!

I told them so! These doctors are getting just what they deserve, and they need to learn their lesson: tort reform simply does not work. They have nobody to blame but themselves.

[meow2u3]

7. Doctors love to be conned.....

by the insurance industry, who trick them into blaming the trial lawyers for the greed of the insurance companies who'd rather bilk the physicians than own up to their own criminal tendencies. After all, it's easier to blame the victims than to take reponsibility for one's own actions.

When the hell will doctors wake up and realize the insurance industry is taking them for the ride of their lives--and those of their patients?!

[onebigbadwulf]

2. Everywhere

That's why I'm going to New Zealand for med school and practice!

[girl gone mad]

3. IIRC..

the tort reform passed narrowly. Of course rates won't be lowered, except perhaps to appeas critics. But even then it won't be significant. Greedy lawyers are not the problem, greedy insurance companiees are the problem.

I hat the fact that so many people in this state drink the Republican Kool-aid time after time. Why do they keep going back? Machismo? Racism?

[Bridget Burke]

5. It passed narrowly--in a Special election!

Various issues were "settled" then.

If "tort reform" had been added to the November ballot, it's quite possible it would have lost, due to the larger turnout.

[JeebusH]

4. let us shed a tear for the Republican doctors ....

NOT!!!

[alarimer]

6. big surprise

Insurance companies were also supposed to lower homeowner's insurance rates. My boss was telling me of his situation with USAA. They lowered the rates all right but increased the value they were insuring his house for, so the rates basically stayed the same. What a scam.