Will doctors walk?
By "Wolf Blitzer Reports" staff
(CNN) -- We have another story of upheaval in the world of healthcare this week: skyrocketing medical malpractice premiums, which doctors in many regions of the United States are forced to pay.
The American Medical Association weighed in on the issue recently, making this statement:
"Unbridled lawsuits have turned some regions in our country -- and in several cases entire states -- into risky areas to practice medicine ... As insurance becomes unaffordable or unavailable physicians are being forced to leave their practices, stop performing high-risk procedures, or drop vital services -- all of which seriously impede patient access to care."
In fact, the AMA has declared a "crisis situation" in 12 states. Doctors in many of these states have been driven out of business, or to other states, simply because of malpractice premiums. Doctor Donald J. Fager of the Medical Liability Insurance Company told CNN recently: "We pay more money to the lawyers to support the cost of litigation than we pay to the injured litigant. That system just doesn't make any sense at all."
Now, a group of doctors -- in different specialties -- in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, area say they will walk off the job this Wednesday, January 1, to protest rising malpractice premiums. One doctor complained his costs were reaching nearly $450 per day.
The doctors say they will not put anyone's life in danger. They say they will perform procedures under extreme emergencies. But the action is still raising concern all around the country. How long will these doctors be protesting? Is this a phenomenon that will soon sweep the country? It's an issue we all have to follow, as we deal with our own concerns regarding our healthcare plans.
