07-17-2012, 07:56 PM
I don't disagree that unreasonable malpractice actions exist, nor that defensive medicine is practiced, and I do agree that these areas can stand reform. But the numbers just don't add up to the level of crisis claimed.
"The cost of medical malpractice in the United States is $55.6 billion a year, which is 2.4 percent of annual health-care spending, a new study shows.
The researchers said their estimate includes $45.6 billion in what's known as defensive medicine costs -- when doctors prescribe unnecessary tests or treatments to avoid lawsuits."
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/man...year-in-us
Older article, feel free to find a better one.
Eliminating that 2.5% expense outright is just not going to make much difference. And relative to the income of the health care industry, this expense is not that big. Even doubling it by doubling Medicaid patients is not going affect the bottom line more than a relative blip.
"The cost of medical malpractice in the United States is $55.6 billion a year, which is 2.4 percent of annual health-care spending, a new study shows.
The researchers said their estimate includes $45.6 billion in what's known as defensive medicine costs -- when doctors prescribe unnecessary tests or treatments to avoid lawsuits."
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/man...year-in-us
Older article, feel free to find a better one.
Eliminating that 2.5% expense outright is just not going to make much difference. And relative to the income of the health care industry, this expense is not that big. Even doubling it by doubling Medicaid patients is not going affect the bottom line more than a relative blip.