John Ensign: “We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and avoid this issue. Medical liability insurance premiums are affecting…”

“We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand and avoid this issue. Medical liability insurance premiums are affecting real people in need of timely and efficient healthcare services. On the issue of availability, thousands of doctors nationwide have been left with no liability insurance as major insurers are either leaving the market or raising rates to astronomical levels. Why are insurers raising rates and leaving the market? Because there is no stability in the marketplace for providing medical liability insurance. Why is there no stability in the marketplace? Because our healthcare system is being overrun by frivolous lawsuits and outrageous jury awards. This excessive litigation is leading to higher healthcare costs for every American and provides little piece of mind for our healthcare providers. Even medical students are affected by the current crisis. According to a recent American Medical Association survey, the current medical liability environment is a significant factor for students selecting a specialty. And, because the litigation system does not accurately judge whether an error was committed in the course of medical care, physicians are adjusting their behavior to avoid being sued. Many physicians are using defensive medicine practices to avoid lawsuits.”