The problem with the cost of medicine is a result of all those damn lawyers. So, how do we put a stop to their actions? Simple. We cap Medical Malpractice suits. That way, doctors can keep medical costs down by not having to pay such high malpractice premiums.
Of course, this was wildly popular at the medical school where Mitt Romney was speaking. And why not? He said all the magic words - Cap, Frivolous Lawsuit, Money.
Of course, what this doesn't address are a couple things. First off, the suits that result judgments against the doctor are not frivolous. When a doctor commits a harm (i.e. malpractice), then being subjected to civil penalties is certainly not frivolous. Second, capping medical malpractice claims potentially hurts the victims of the doctor's malpractice. The injured party may have limits on their recovery that don't match the expenses from the services he received or cost to repair what injury the doctor caused. Finally, the best way to cap medical expenses from medical malpractice claims is to get rid of the bad doctors. The fewer doctors who commit malpractice, the fewer claims. The fewer claims, the lower the premiums. It's pretty simple.
Yet it's so much easier to cast the blame elsewhere. It's not the doctor's fault for not doing their job right. It's the greedy lawyers attacking those who commit malpractice. They need to be taught a lesson. Unfortunately, the "they" Romney refers to is the wrong they.
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And the other thing wrong with the premise is that medical malpractice judgment caps would have very little impact on the high cost of medical care. But why let the facts get in the way of a good story, right Mitt?
There's also the issue of the long hours hospital workers are made to work under stressful conditions that can lead to costly and dangerous errors. And then there are those doctors that just don't give a shit and don't listen to their patients. I'm not saying they're more prone to malpractice. I just think they suck.
Yeah, there are plenty of greedy lawyers out there and plenty of litigious individuals, but they're not to blame for the high cost of medical care or medical malpractice. That's definitely oversimplifying the issue.
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