Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, experts say

Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by forgetsusername on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @02:14PM (#11630374)

>In my view there should be a nationwide malpractice insurance pool and the medical associations should push for better quality standards within their ranks.

It's an interesting idea, but who pays for it? Taxpayers? Have fun with that politically. The doctors? You'll drive out those on the margins of "doctor or other career". We here in Canada already have a massive doctor shortage everywhere but major cities, so that's a problem.

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by shimon on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @02:49PM (#11630673)

I agree this would be politically problematic, but not for the reason you provide. Doctors already spend tons of money on private malpractice insurance; this national pool would just be a different administration of the same insurance payments. In fact, the pool could be effected with different regulation of the existing private insurers and changes to malpractice law. And if done right, it could plausibly lower overall insurance fee burden on doctors.

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by Scoundreller on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @06:02PM (#11632285)

> Doctors already spend tons of money on private malpractice insurance

In Ontario Canada, the government reimburses most of their malpractice insurance fees. As a result, they're currently paying 1986 rates:

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/ohip/mlp/announc...

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by forgetsusername on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @10:43PM (#11633646)

And how is Ontario doing, generally, with regards to the number of doctors: patients?

I lived there, and know doctors personally. The answer is terrible.

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by viraptor on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @08:06PM (#11632983)

> The doctors? You'll drive out those on the margins of "doctor or other career".

Would that really happen? I know in Australia doctors pay for their own indemnification cover. (http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/...)

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by forgetsusername on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @10:45PM (#11633654)

>Would that really happen?

Why would it not?

At the margins you make decisions based on a variety of factors. If X costs more than Y, you choose Y. I don't know if, practically, that means 1 potential doctor or 1000 decides not to go to med school. But in a world where we are already short doctors, even the former is "too many".

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by viraptor on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @11:39PM (#11633879)

Because nobody knows X, Y, and other values before they start. It's years of training. Budgets change, rules change, people move to other regions, ...

When you're trying to decide what to do before you start studies, realistically you can't predict your finances and earnings in 10 years. There are some trends you can look at, but that's just one component. Even then it makes more sense in private sector than one funded in very creative and politically dependent ways.

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Re:Medical error is third biggest cause of death in the US, ... by 794CD01 on Wednesday May 04, 2016 @03:49PM (#11631169)

In the US, at least, "doctor shortages" are caused by insufficient capacity upstream. Some combination of not enough medical schools and not enough licenses issued. Which happens because existing doctors are not incentivized to flood their field with more doctors who will then compete with them and lower prices.

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