Thursday, January 24, 2008
Medical Malpractice Claims Decrease in Ohio
As part of a series of Ohio reforms, the Insurance Department was required to compile data on medical malpractice claims. The initial report was issued last year, making this the first year a comparison could be conducted. In 2005, there were 5,051 med mal claims filed in the state. In 2006, only 4,006 claims were filed, a decrease of approximately 20%.
The Insurance Department attributed the decrease to changes made by lawmakers five years ago. Those changes included caps for pain-and-suffering, and attempts to restrict "frivolous" claims against doctors. The story is here.
Because Texas seems to have had an influx of physicians following relatively similar tort reforms in 2003, I was curious whether Ohio had been likewise affected. The State Medical Board of Ohio has licensing statistics on its website, but only through 2005. I don't see any evidence that the reforms had a significant effect on licensing, but I didn't run statistical tests on the figures. Will more data show bigger changes? Will the Ohio Supreme Court's blessing of the tort reforms convince other doctors to come? Or is there something that separates Texas from Ohio? The weather? The lack of a state income tax?
--CJR
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/tortsprof/2008/01/medical-malprac.html
Comments
As in any profession, there will be bad apples. Most doctors are not corrupt. You have to be hard-working, deligent, and intelligent to even become a doctor. Doctors in majority have good work ethic and respect for others. Doctors are in a profession to help others. Very few are dishonest, especially compared to the normal population.
Posted by: James | May 6, 2008 2:27:51 AM
Yes, medical claims has decreased because Ohio has TAKEN AWAY all it's citizens RIGHTS! It now is so hard, and expensesive to file a law suit.I have been permatently damaged by a crooked Cols DR, and now it is so very hard to get an attonery to take any cases because of the ridiculously low caps($250,000),the new rule that you have to have a expert witness(another DR) on your side before you even can file the lawsuit. And on top of that, you must file the suit within 1 yr!!! Ohio has hurt it's citizens hugely. It has too many dishonest DRs,and politicians. Even the Ohio State Medical Board, which is supposed to over see Drs, is very corrupt!(They wouldn't even help secure my medical records from the Dr there)The whole medical industry there is dishonest, and all "pro-physcian rights".It's sad because there are so many negligent Drs . Ohio citizens need to VOTE those currupt Judges(who changed the tort laws all in favor of DRs, who have lobbied for the changes,with their large pockets) out, to ever get any citizen rights again.
Posted by: Guy | Jan 26, 2008 9:12:43 AM