A PATIENT-FOCUSED TRIAD FOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LIABILITY REFORM IN RHODE ISLAND:
TRIAD FOR MEANINGFUL REFORM OF THE MEDICAL LIABILITY MARKET IN RHODE ISLAND:
American consumers and voters want specifics and solutions on healthcare system reform, not just empty rhetoric. Here are three tangible and achievable specific measures to solve the growing crises in malpractice insurance cost and availability in Rhode Island. No known U.S. state has tried to implement all three concurrently or sequentially.
(I). Utilize public information in the National Practitioners Databank (NPD), the Health Integrity and Protection Databank (HIPDB) and the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (RI BMLD) to promote necessary legislation and regulation that “quarantines” the most dangerous licensed physicians in Rhode Island based on repetitive malpractice reports, criminal convictions and civil judgements. (1)
(II). Reform the medical liability market by enacting measures equivalent to California's Medical injury Compensation Reform Act(MICRA)of 1975(2)
(III). Reform medical malpractice and all other major insurance lines by enacting measures equivalent to California's “Proposition 103” of 1988(3)
(1)See: http://www.npdb-hipdb.com and http://www.docboard.org/ri/discipact.htm
(2) According to a recent analysis published in the journal Health Affairs (January 21, 2004), award caps exist in 24 states and are the only malpractice reform that has reduced physicians’ premiums, reducing them 17 percent. (http://www.healthaffairs.org/press/janfeb0403.htm).
(3) In California, damage caps instituted by themselves in 1975 (MICRA) did not prevent total medical malpractice premiums paid by California providers from increasing 190 percent between 1976 and 1988 (almost 16% per year). When Proposition 103, a major insurance market reform which included all major insurance lines was passed by voters in 1988, malpractice premiums subsequently declined by 2 percent between 1988 and 2001. (http://www.pifc.org/Media/pdfiles/refprop103.pdf).
Bob Coli, MD
June 13, 2004:
American consumers and voters want specifics and solutions on healthcare system reform, not just empty rhetoric. Here are three tangible and achievable specific measures to solve the growing crises in malpractice insurance cost and availability in Rhode Island. No known U.S. state has tried to implement all three concurrently or sequentially.
(I). Utilize public information in the National Practitioners Databank (NPD), the Health Integrity and Protection Databank (HIPDB) and the Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline (RI BMLD) to promote necessary legislation and regulation that “quarantines” the most dangerous licensed physicians in Rhode Island based on repetitive malpractice reports, criminal convictions and civil judgements. (1)
(II). Reform the medical liability market by enacting measures equivalent to California's Medical injury Compensation Reform Act(MICRA)of 1975(2)
(III). Reform medical malpractice and all other major insurance lines by enacting measures equivalent to California's “Proposition 103” of 1988(3)
(1)See: http://www.npdb-hipdb.com and http://www.docboard.org/ri/discipact.htm
(2) According to a recent analysis published in the journal Health Affairs (January 21, 2004), award caps exist in 24 states and are the only malpractice reform that has reduced physicians’ premiums, reducing them 17 percent. (http://www.healthaffairs.org/press/janfeb0403.htm).
(3) In California, damage caps instituted by themselves in 1975 (MICRA) did not prevent total medical malpractice premiums paid by California providers from increasing 190 percent between 1976 and 1988 (almost 16% per year). When Proposition 103, a major insurance market reform which included all major insurance lines was passed by voters in 1988, malpractice premiums subsequently declined by 2 percent between 1988 and 2001. (http://www.pifc.org/Media/pdfiles/refprop103.pdf).
Bob Coli, MD
June 13, 2004:
posted by Bob Coli, MD at 2:34 PM
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