Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Just another example of why health care costs are skyrocketing

Here's a perfect example of why both health care costs are skyrocketing, and why Kentucky needs medical malpractice reforms.

This couple originally sought more than $13 million from these Bowling Green ob-gyns.

No wonder almost 60 percent of Kentucky’s in-state medical school graduates choose to leave the state to establish their clinical practices after graduation.

Why have an increasing number of Kentucky hospitals, including Knox County Hospital in Barbourville and Ashland's Bellefonte Hospital, closed their obstetrics departments in recent years? It's the uncertainty created by a lack of monetary caps in lawsuits. That uncertainty leads to outrageously high medical liability insurance rates.

Markets, including health-care markets, thrive when rules are clear and policies create certainty. Uncertainty leads to unhealthy results.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's a theme in Kentucky really. Business owners leave, doctors leave, corporate HQ's leave. Legislators need to wake up and realize that they are behind! We need a better tax/business climate in this state.

Start with making KY a right to work state and repealing prevailing wage!

Jim Waters said...

Just today, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that when Mary Breckinridge Hospital in Hyden closed its maternity ward in September, hospital officials cited "large malpractice insurance premiums for maternity care providers" as one of its primary reasons for closing.

Anonymous said...

Lawsuit abuse is an incredible problem in this country, and these numbers just show how damaging it has been in our state. It's amazing how an entire 2800 page bill that sought to reform health care did nothing to reform that which threatens patient access to care the most. Really unbelievable!