Submitted by Jamie Grifo MD PhD, Aug 10, 2007 07:43

Why doesn't anyone in Washington or Albany pay attention to the real reason health care is unaffordable? New York hospitals will pay 1.8 billion dollars in liabilty premiums this year- money that could certainly be better directed towards health care. Instead that money goes to defending many frivolous lawsuits and paying off unhappy customers with bad outcomes (in the name of malpractice). The current litigation system does not protect victims of malpractice, allows patients with complications (not bad medicine) to extort money from hospitals and doctors for fear of a lawsuit, disproportionally compensates lawyers and insurance companies and drives up the cost of care because of defensive medicine. Michael Moore you have it right --it is Sicko-you just have the wrong enemy.

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