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I think LA Ute or someone used to have a great line in their signature to the effect of "it isn't the thinks we don't know that hurt us, its the thinks we know that just ain't so." I've gotten pretty persuaded that premium increases are tied to economic conditions and particularly the bond market. Everything I have read suggests that med-mal payouts have been static for a long time when you adjust for inflation. That is what is informing my opinion, but since I am open to having my mind changed, can you tell me what is informing yours? PS: In rereading I realize that you said "costs." So disregarding the forgoing if it is inapplicable. I do observe that the cost of vehicles is also increased by product's liability lawsuits but this system also makes it less likely they will build something unsafe. The point being that simply saying that cost goes up because x occurs is not a trump card. Sometimes as a society we make a decision to compensate those who are hurt because it is more just to allow the defendant to spread that hit among its customers than it is to make the injured person bear the cost of his injuries alone. |
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A good operating margin for a health system is 2%. 1% is doing ok and anything over 2% is unbelievable. Of course 1% of a billion is $10 million |
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You may be right that premium increases on the whole may be more due to economic factors. However, economic factors can't account for the wide disparity in premiums between states (even neighboring ones--MI vs IN for instance). Both personal experience and numerous studies will point to a correlation between tort legislation and malpractice premiums. Common sense would confirm this as well. Like I said earlier, I don't have a problem with the malpractice climate in which I currently practice. There are serious issues in other states, however, and these are affecting access to care. Unless it incorporates tort reform, health care reform is only going to exacerbate these access issues. |
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2) Do you not feel that the Canadian and European systems are superior to ours? Sorry, I'm not going to take the time to research your posts, but that sure doesn't seem like a far stretch. |
Almost all hospitals
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BTW........the LAX area in the last 24 months closed 4 hospitals that accounted for 2,000 hospital beds due to the losses incurred by the illegal immigrant financial strain. And my hospitals have closed their ER departments because of the financial strains. |
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Malpractice costs do increase the cost of healthcare.......
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Give me a hospital name
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Here ya go.......
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Data are annualized for periods other than twelve months. Period ending date 9/30/2006 Number of months in period 12 Cost report status Amended Settled Without Audit Settled With Audit Settled Without Audit Settled Without Audit Inpatient Revenue $1,030,018,674 Outpatient Revenue $373,153,906 Total Patient Revenue $1,403,172,580 Contractual Allowance (Discounts) $764,048,121 Net Patient Revenues $639,124,459 Total Operating Expense1 $666,464,278 Operating Income $-27,339,819 Other Income (Contributions, Bequests, etc.) $2,355,806 Income from Investments $41,879,306 Governmental Appropriations $0 Miscellaneous Non-Patient Revenue $94,135,169 Total Non-Patient Revenue $138,370,281 Total Other Expenses $14,065,817 Net Income or (Loss) $96,964,645 children's hospitals are a bit different. lot of outreach activity. but notice their operating income was -$27M and they discounted their services roughly 50%. |
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