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Obama Throws a Bone to GOP: We'll Give Malpractice Reform a Test Run

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This is pretty wonky, but it's a clear sign that, though he's criticizing Republicans pretty starkly, Obama's also going the extra mile to show he's open to Republican ideas.

"[M]any in this chamber - particularly on the Republican side of the aisle - have long insisted that reforming our medical malpractice laws can help bring down the cost of health care," Obama said.

I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I have talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs. So I am proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine. I know that the Bush Administration considered authorizing demonstration projects in individual states to test these issues. It's a good idea, and I am directing my Secretary of Health and Human Services to move forward on this initiative today.

That should mean health care reform gets 90 votes in the Senate and 402 votes in the House, right? No, I didn't think so either.

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11 comments

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September 9, 2009 9:13 PM   

This from Fox News:

Meantime, Republicans jeer and boo at the president. Reps. Tom Price (R-GA) and Phil Gingery (R-GA) display signs that say “No Socialized Medicine.” The sign belonging to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) reads “Don’t Pull the Plug on Grandma.” Some conservatives hoist posters bearing Mr. Obama’s image, a toothbrush mustache penciled in above his lips. Another holds a poster that depicts the White House emblazoned with a Soviet hammer and cycle. Reps. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) and Virginia Foxx (R-NC) crow from the rear of the chamber, both waving a copy of the U.S. Constitution.

How childish. What lack of respect and decorum.

As for Grassley, I see no reason to talk to that little sh*t. He should be out of the loop.

And Bachmann waving the Constitution? I'm surprised she can read it.

Words fail me.

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September 9, 2009 9:21 PM    in reply to Minne sconsin

You know. the delegation from Georgia can just go eat shit, as far as I'm concerned. They show their low class, their low IQ, and their total piggeshness. But, this isn't something our president hasn't seen before. Do they think he has never been called a nigguh before. Disgraceful, embarrassing, but to be expected. The land of Newty Tooty.

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September 9, 2009 9:27 PM    in reply to Minne sconsin

Read it? It's not really words for her. It's more like a relic or a talisman or some other ignorant bit superstitious rubbish. The idea that it contains ideas and values that can be discerned by reading is more of that evil liberal stuff.

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September 9, 2009 9:22 PM   

There already areexamples of the failure of "tort" reform - California and Texas.
10 years after limitations and costs are still sky rocketing.
But don't let facts get in the way of political delusions. Espiacially when tghose delusions come with large campaign contributions attached to them

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September 9, 2009 9:27 PM   

I think this is what O is going to focus on when it comes to tort reform:

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/354/21/2205

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AJM

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September 9, 2009 9:27 PM   

So which state do you want to nominate for the free fire zone for incompetent doctors?

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September 9, 2009 9:32 PM    in reply to AJM

I nominate South Carolina, Oklahoma and Alabama.

But, seriously, read the link above. I'm pretty sure that is what they're talking about. And it's not going to please Republicans. But then, what government policy does please Republicans that doesn't involve upward wealth transfer or killing foreigners and blowing up their buildings?

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September 9, 2009 9:36 PM   

It doesn't give him any more votes, but at least it takes a talking point away from conservatives.

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September 9, 2009 9:44 PM   

everyone talks about Tort Reform but noone talks about AMA shielding bad doctors - doctors that should be practicing

Tort reform should happen only in exchange for easier revocation of the licenses of incompetent doctors and Doctors who commit fraud .

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September 9, 2009 10:25 PM    in reply to smartone

Hear, hear.

If doctors did half the piss poor job of regulating their own profession that the lawyers they so hate do (or accountants or architects, or any other self-regulated profession outside the medical sphere), total payouts for malpractice claims would tumble.

Unfortunately, that wouldn't affect their malpractice premiums, because their insurers have figured out that doctors' hatred of lawyers is so extreme that they'll take any amount of screwing as long as the insurers can plausibly blame lawyers for the necessity of doing so.

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September 10, 2009 11:47 AM   

President Obama’s heath care promises won’t be kept. Costs will rise exponentially, NOT fall. Therefore, our taxes will be the ones to pay for it. We need to support the goal of covering all individuals through private health insurance. We are NOT prepared to turn our health system over to the government.
http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/issues/index.cfm?ID=300 .

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