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Originally Posted by arock10
I never understood why it's by state in the first place. Tort reform I don't know much about so I can't really comment on that.
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Tort reform would cover a lot of stuff.
It's basically addressing the malpractice insurance that doctors have to carry. It's incredibly expensive and of course is passed on to the consumer (us) in costs.
And it leads to dumb things. Like our doctor can KNOW what's wrong with me. But he can't just prescribe me what I need and send me on my way. First he has to order whatever tests that the insurance company REQUIRES him to have run.
So I could go in with a severe headache for instance. The doctor determines that it's not a sinus headache. He KNOWS from his own training in diagnosis that it's a stress headache and he should prescribe accordingly. BUT...before he can do that, His insurance company FORCES him to send you to an expensive neurologist to run expensive diagnostic tests.
And then...and only then, after that all comes back negative...he can finally write you the prescription for the tension headache you had in the first place.
My example is way over-simplified. But it's one of the major reasons that health care is so expensive.
Many folks would have us believe it's because of people going to the emergency room at hospitals. But no...that doesn't have a damn thing to do with seeing your primary care physician and it costing a fortune.
Tort reform would make a huge difference.
But it's like trying to get politicians to address Social Security going bankrupt. None of them have the balls to do what has to be done.