WTF is going on in Texas? (RE: Insurance and the Courts)

[Trek234]

I saw a commercial today (in Texas) urging people to vote against some kind of proposition that would supposedly remove all power of courts to rule in any matter relating to insurance.

(i.e. I got the impression Got cancer? Health insurance says too bad? You can't go to court.)

Does anyone else know anything about this?

[Skittles]

1. Proposition 12?

supposedly it limits the amounts that can be awarded for medical malpractice but the wording is sinister and supposedly CAN INCLUDE OTHER STUFF. All I know is I saw Governor Goodhair on TV pimping for it. And you can bet if Delay's whore thinks it's dandy, it will SUCK for the people.

[PDittie]

2. Prop 12

is tort reform.

It will cap the amount of damages a plaintiff can collect in a personal injury lawsuit.

Rick Perry is urging passage; the physicians and hospitals and insurance companies are for it.

[Trek234]

3. Ah I see

Thanks for the info. The commerical made it seem to be more than it was.

[cosmicdot]

4. it's part of the BFEE playbook, isn't it?

[Yupster]

5. Phone banks have been calling me

I'm going to vote for it.

I keep asking the phone bank people to convince me to vote against it, but they haven't. The way I understand it, the medical expenses would still be paid, as would economic damages and future wages. The only things that are limited are the extra awards like punitive damages. I think that's reasonable because there isn't any doubt in my mind that doctors are being forced out of practice by their malpractice premiums.

I have two clients who are ob/gyns, and both of them have stopped delivering babies because they couldn't pay their premiums.

One guy told me a 16 year old gets pregnant because she's on drugs. She stays on drugs throughout her pregnancy and then when the baby is born with low birth weight, lawyers are there with automatic lawsuits. Not worth the trouble, no more delivering babies.