Medical malpractice

There have been a lot of articles in the news lately about the need for changes in medical malpractice insurance. In the 58 years I’ve been around I can honestly say that I don’t know anyone or have never met anyone – that I am aware of – who has ever sued a doctor for malpractice. There is no doubt that this occurs but how many of these claims are legitimate and how many are bogus?

According to statistics the cost of medical malpractice liability represents a grand total of 1 percent of the total cost of providing health care to Americans today so any intelligent person would have to ask themselves why people are so fixated on that 1 percent instead of looking at the other 99 percent.

Could it be that it is a lot easier to pick on the average working person making it appear that we are after the quick buck at any cost or is it to distract us from the fact that there are some incompetent people in the medical profession? There have been many cases of doctors and hospitals overcharging and falsifying Medicare and Medicaid claims, and insurance companies have a reputation of increasing their prices as often as the laws will allow them regardless of what the statistics looks like.

There are good people and there are bad people in every walk of life, so when you want to blame somebody for your troubles make sure you spread the blame equally and fairly amongst us all.

Michael Avery Sr.

Milford