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Thursday, December 11, 2008
Hospitals sue Rendell over malpractice
Inquirer staff writer Josh Goldstein reports:

The Rendell administration has violated the Pennsylvania Constitution and law by not funding a program to reduce doctors malpractice costs, the state’s hospital lobby charged today in a petition in Commonwealth Court.

The Hospital & HealthSystem Association of Pennsylvania asked the court to order the administration to fully fund the so-called Mcare abatements, the state-funded program to reduce doctors’ malpractice costs.

Gov. Rendell has said he would not support the abatement program unless the state legislature first acted on his proposal to help more uninsured Pennsylvanians get access to affordable coverage. The Senate Republicans and the administration had not resolved the stalemate when the legislature adjourned for the year.

Carolyn F. Scanlan, president of the hospital group, said that without the abatement, which is funded by the tobacco tax, the state risks “a catastrophic loss over the coming years of physicians … that will reduce patient access to care.”

Rendell’s spokesman Chuck Ardo said the hospital association clearly didn’t understand the law “because the legislation does not provide for continued subsidies for malpractice costs for doctors and hospitals."

Ardo said the governor has said that if ordinary Pennsylvanian’s do not get a benefit from the health care retention fund created with tax funds, he doesn’t believe that doctors and hospitals should benefit either.

Read more breaking news in our From The Source blog.
Posted by Inquirer Online Desk @ 3:57 PM  Permalink | 13 comments
Comments   
Posted 04:02 PM, 12/11/2008
sleepy
It is about time. When will you investigate how the trial lawyers run this state.
Posted 04:13 PM, 12/11/2008
tonyS
Cannot blame the doctors for their actions.
Comment removed.
Posted 04:40 PM, 12/11/2008
jnixon05
Tom Know is running for Gov... Very disturbing indeed...
Posted 04:46 PM, 12/11/2008
natedog
rendell has also avoided funding for the teacher's pension plan. unless its a casino,comcast or food, he's not interested
Posted 04:56 PM, 12/11/2008
Sun Ra
Lived here my whole life, love PA and Philly in particular. I just wish we could get with the times. Lots of oudated laws and practices, and no one with any vision or good ideas is ready to lead. My frustration is shared by many, especially physicians. When we all leave PA the trial lawyers will set their target$ on something else. What's worse than Kentucky? Pennsytucky!
Posted 05:06 PM, 12/11/2008
PhillysportsfaninKY
I wonder what happens when rendell has chest pain and there is no cardiologist to stent him because they all moved away
Posted 05:29 PM, 12/11/2008
idempotent
If doctors and hospitals benefit from the fund, then ordinary Pennsylvanian's do as well.
Posted 05:49 PM, 12/11/2008
EVA9601
People need access to healthcare,even if a tough stance must be taken to do it. We are in a crisis mode as far as healthcare and record numbers of unisured people can't get services. All should benefit.
Posted 05:58 PM, 12/11/2008
drbob1
Fast Eddie deserved this because he tried to link the abatement program with the uninsured residents legislation, a move that's typical of his behavior when he doesn't get his way. I believe he threatened to furlough a bunch of DRPA workers a few years ago when he didn't get his way on dredging the Delaware. Maybe he should take time out from his Eagles game to look up the word "integrity". I've been practicing in this state for 22 years, but it may be time to go.
Comment removed.
Posted 08:02 PM, 12/11/2008
heisamazing
Its seems like the doctors are always the victims. Really. If people really knew how many fraudulent claims doctors submit, then they would understand why healthcare is skyhigh. These doctors submit certain claims, knowing certain things aren't covered because they try to expose the system. They will run a battery of unnecessary (and always mostly costly) tests just so they can get paid. Doctors used to run certain lab tests in the office and charged whatever they wanted--no standards. Good thing there are lab facilities that can do things at much cheaper standardized costs helping ordinary americans. For too long, doctors had a monolopy on what they could charge and got away with it. No one ever talks about the money that pharmaceutical companies (and the free gifts, trips to 'medical conferences', etc) that they give to doctors. Ever wonder why some doctors favor certain medications (if they even really need to be prescribed in the first place). This is just the tip. Many of these doctors are more crooked than car mechanics and lawyers. Now they are complaining...justice.
Posted 08:08 PM, 12/11/2008
heisamazing
" set up a medical court system to manage the lawsuits evenly."----lemme guess, it'll be doctors who sit on this medical court system. Maybe the better idea is to limit doctors fees instead of malpractice awards. Maybe doctors need to undergo a thorough 2 year recertification type of exam to maintain their license like they do in other industries.
13 comments