We have read and heard numerous reasons for as well as solutions to the "malpractice insurance crisis," all holding some merit but not addressing the real problem.
The majority of malpractice is committed by and concentrated among a few doctors and other medical professionals. Truth is, the health care system fails to weed out low-quality doctors and other medical professionals and institutions. The medical profession, like many other professions, fails to adequately police or regulate itself.
Medicine is not an exact science, and we cannot expect our doctors to be "gods" free from mistakes. If these mistakes carried license suspension time based upon severity of the incident, the "bad" doctors would be pulled from practice.
Before we pass legislation limiting financial awards at the low limits now proposed, let the medical profession and the health care industry change their self-regulation practices and suspend the low-quality professionals and institutions that are driving up rates.
It is the most inexpensive way to solve the problem in the long run. Insurance costs will drop for the whole industry if it would just get tough with that small percentage.
Moon
