Md. Lawmakers OK Medical Malpractice Bill

[Rose Siding]

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The state General Assembly approved a medical malpractice overhaul package early Thursday aimed at cutting doctors' skyrocketing insurance costs, but Gov. Robert Ehrlich said he would veto it because it includes a tax on HMO premiums.

In a meeting that stretched 17 hours, until around 3:30 a.m., the bill got final approval in the Senate in a 32-13 vote. Earlier, the House had approved it 85-44.

The governor summoned lawmakers to Annapolis on Tuesday for a special session to deal with malpractice costs, which he said was the most important issue facing the state. Doctors face a Friday deadline for paying their 2005 premiums.

Ehrlich proposed strict restrictions on malpractice lawsuits, arguing that frivolous suits and excessive awards had driven up the cost of insurance to the point that some doctors were shutting down their practices.

But the bill developed by House and Senate negotiators also would apply a 2 percent tax on HMO premiums, adamantly opposed by Ehrlich. The proceeds from the tax would be used to underwrite the cost of malpractice insurance and increase Medicaid reimbursements to doctors in specialties such as obstetrics, where malpractice costs have been particularly high.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=718&e=7&u=/ap/20041230/ap_on_re_us/maryland_malpractice

[punpirate]

1. Perhaps Maryland ought to...

... be paying attention what has happened in Texas, where this ruse of lower health care costs was used to pass a constitutional amendment capping malpractice awards a couple of years ago. Recently, the insurers admitted that malpractice awards had a negligible effect on malpractice rates; that announcement was made as part of a statement saying that premiums for malpractice insurance for Texas physicians would be going up this year--substantially.

The effect of capping awards has been noticeable--attorneys simply won't take cases in which there is no negotiating leverage for a reasonable settlement, because the up-front costs for specialized witnesses and preparing a case for trial eat up the returns.

The effect of malpractice reform is to deny those harmed and make life easier for the insurers. The stated reason, to reduce health care costs, is, in fact, a lie promoted by the insurers themselves.

[grumpy old fart]

2. Amen Brother.

The Repuke response to the Malpractice, Tort, (take your pick) "Crisis" is always to screw the little injured guy and help out the Insurance companies, big corporations, etc....Health Care costs too high? Just don't let any poor folk get health care. Defective products killing and maiming people, leading to high jury awards? Don't let anyone sue big business. Doctors committing malpractice? Just ban malpractice suits.
What a bunch of unfeeling assholes.

[zann725]

3. As gradually our rights are chipped away...

in what was ONCE a great Democracy.

[shireen]

4. HMO Tax

Why is Ehrlich so adamantly opposed to the 2% HMO tax? I can't see how that would devastate the insurance companies.

[Stinky The Clown]

5. Ehrlich is a Nazi in the style of the radicals in Congress from whence

he came. He was part of the Gingrich "Contract on America(tm)" and has taken that style and philosophy with him when he took our governorship. He must go in 06. Keep an eye on (Baltimore mayor and rising star) Martin O'Malley.

Ehrlich doesn't want insurance reform, he wants to strip rights from the little guy - pure and simple. As in a post above in this thread, he DID look at Texas ....... and the fucker liked what he saw.

He MUST go.

[nickshepDEM]

6. What do you think our chances are in '06?

Im from Dundalk an extremley Democratic area and even here Ehrlich has a very strong support base. Although, I think any Dem that runs is at an advantage. Still, I think Bobby the pumpkin pie hair cutted freak is going to be extremley hard to beat. Also, a recent article in the Sun quoted Duncan as saying "O'Malley isnt running he wouldnt abondon Baltimore City like that." Do you think Duncan is capable of beating Ehrlich?

[Stinky The Clown]

7. I'm not ruling O'Malley out just yet (he's rumored to b fighting a scandal

of a very personal nature). I'm not all that familiar with Duncan. But I think any good Dem with a good campaign can beat Ehrlich. He can be hit on lots of issues. And don't forget that the reason he won is because our last Governor, Glendening was a bona fide idiot and then his Lt Governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (Bobby Kennedy's oldest child) ran what could easily be argued is the worst gubernatorial campaign in the history of the entire world's gubernatorial campaigns!

Nah .... I think Ehrlich's toast