UW seeks to prevent ‘awareness’ in surgery By CHERIE BLACK P-I REPORTER http://seattlepi.nwsource.com Soon after being put under anesthesia to undergo a hysterectomy, Diana Todd began hearing voices. As she tried to listen to what the voices were saying, she felt the first cut. The pain was indescribable. She stopped counting after the fifth time […]

American College of Physicians Asks Candidates to Back Universal Health Coverage By Todd Zwillich WebMD Medical News http://www.webmd.com Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD The nation’s biggest organization of specialty doctors called on presidential candidates Thursday to back health insurance coverage for all Americans. Saying the U.S. health care system is “failing,” the American College of […]

http://www.businesswire.com/ Tennessee’s limitless nursing home lawsuits and resulting record verdicts have driven the liability cost per bed here to second highest in the nation, studies show. Now some state legislative leaders have introduced a bill to bring the liability costs more in line with comparable cases like those for medical malpractice and workers’ compensation in […]

By Patty Pensa | South Florida Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com When voters told physicians, “Three strikes, you’re out,” Dr. Douglas Martin cautiously pulled back. He dropped his malpractice insurance and cut his practice to three half days a week. “The rest of the time, I trade stocks,” said Martin, a neurosurgeon for almost 30 years. “It’s actually […]

http://www.namic.org The Ohio Department of Insurance has issued its second annual Ohio Medical Liability Closed Claim Report, Director Mary Jo Hudson announced. Data collected from entities providing medical malpractice coverage to Ohio health care providers and health care facilities shows a total of 4,004 medical malpractice claims were closed in 2006. Claims that generated an […]

By James Arvantes http://www.aafp.org A major health care reform initiative in Massachusetts has revealed a fundamental truth — comprehensive health care reform efforts cannot work without adequate access to primary care services. In April 2006, Massachusetts became the first state in the country to enact a law requiring its residents to carry health insurance. Since […]

By Laura Ungar The Courier-Journal http://www.courier-journal.com The Kentucky Medical Association today unveiled plans to work with legislators to ease the state’s doctor shortage and widen access to health care across the state. A study last year by the Kentucky Institute of Medicine showed the state needs almost 2,300 doctors to meet national standards. “We’ve recognized […]

By Laura Ungar The Courier-Journal http://www.courier-journal.com The Kentucky Medical Association unveiled plans yesterday to work with legislators to ease the state’s doctor shortage and widen access to health care. A study last year by the Kentucky Institute of Medicine showed the state needs almost 2,300 doctors to meet national standards. “We’ve recognized for years that […]

Lawsuits – The Oregon Supreme Court expresses an urgent need to raise limits on medical damages JANIE HAR The Oregonian http://www.oregonlive.com In greenlighting a $17 million medical malpractice lawsuit against the state, the Oregon Supreme Court sent a clear message to lawmakers: The cap on damages from injuries caused by government negligence is too low, […]