Side note: The Coalition to Protect Patients Rights, a grassroots coalition of over 10,000 health care providers, doctors, and concerned citizens, recently expressed concern over flaws in the newly passed health care reform law. Members of the coalition were shocked to find out that a recent government analysis discovered that overall health care costs will […]

Side note: Sometimes medical malpractice can cost a doctor a lot more than higher medical malpractice insurance premiums. Recently Rapin Osathanondh, age 67, was sentenced to a 2.5 years in jail for his negligence resulting in the death of Laura Hope Smith of Sandwich, Ma. The jail sentence was a result of Osathanondh’s failure to […]

side note: Wow, talk about a surgeon with bad luck. After leaving a sponge inside his patient for months, the patient also happened to be a judge. Yes, there’s a lawsuit. It has been called the “surgeon’s dread.” The most common mistake made in surgery, according to medical journals, is leaving a sponge or instrument […]

side note: Yes, I know this doesn’t have much to do with medical malpractice insurance. This story however involves a friend from childhood who I’m incredibly proud of! Dr. Terry (still have a hard time saying that, let along typing it) did an amazing thing by donating bone marrow to a complete stranger. Dr. Terry, […]

side note: Hospitals in Hawaii are facing delays in Medicaid reimbursements due to the state’s $86 million dollar budget shortfall. The budget deficit has become a hot topic in the democratic primary for governor. Former mayor of Honolulu, Mufi Hannemann says that if elected he would mandate an audit of all federal spending. He vows […]

Side Note: this article reports on a new study that examined the merit of apologizing for errors in medicine.  Its finding were consistent with previous research – admitting fault for a medical mistake, apologizing, and offering a fair settlement can help reduce legal costs and cut down on claims.  Good communication with patients is an […]

Side note: Must be an election year! One of the biggest races shaping up this year is the Senatorial seat currently being held by the powerful Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid. His primary challenger, Sharron Angle, the Republican candidate, wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Candidate Angle believes that heath care can be made […]

side note: This doesn’t pass the sniff test. The Louisiana state legislature recently passed a law that forbids access to the state’s excess liability medical malpractice insurance fund to doctors that perform abortions. Of course, those doctors still must pay into the fund, but cannot access it because those doctors choose to perform a specific, […]

Side Note: This article reports on newly released data from the AMA.  The AMA’s survey collected a variety of information on malpractice cases  from a large number of physicians.  The results showed that a sizable majority of physicians over 55 have been sued, and that a majority of doctors will probably be sued in their […]