Medical Malpractice

If the government puts a cap on medical malpractice insurance and law suites, would that drive costs down?

If the government puts a cap on medical malpractice insurance and law suites, would that drive costs down? How ethical would it be, and do you think the Democrats and Republicans would let such a bill pass? No hate answers please and this question will be put to a vote. Thanks in advance for answering..

Public Comments

1. No. What should be done is to nationalize the medical malpractize insurance industry. Take the profit right out of the equation, and that would take some of the pressure off of doctors who pay the high premiums like surgeons and obstetricians.
2. No, If the doctors group police themselves and get rid of the lemons in their field cost would go down.
3. It's doubtful it would drive costs down. Medical malpractice is up and is based on history of malpractice suits, and potential future incidents, the economy, all based on statistics. It may not drive costs down, but it might put a freeze on present fees/costs. In order for passing a bill, there would need to be clauses to accommodate cost of living adjustments, etc. I suspect it has been deregulated along with everything else this administration implemented along the way.
4. It would but maybe not as much as people think. It would keep more doctors in practice, which would be a boon. A better way would be to leave the adversarial system altogether, and have an administrative remedy process. MOST of those injured aren't injured "enough" to interest a personal injury attorney in taking the case, so they lose out big time. Many countries use this process very successfully, but out plaintiff's attorney lobbyists are one of the strongest lobbyist groups in the country, and it won't happen. John Edwards is one of them.
5. I thought some states already had a cap. We voted on that issue in Nevada years ago and it did not lower medical costs at all. It did bring out the worst of the worst doctors in the city. We have some horrible clinics, doctors and to top it off health inspectors. An entire clinic of thousands of people were exposed to Hepatitis C last year. My mother and several other seniors had fake surgeries where they went under anesthesia and woke up, told the surgery was successful only to find out 6 months later nothing was ever done. Doctors from all practices refuse to turn over medical records. I think the malpractice caps are a big farse designed to protect insurance companies and gives some doctors a sense of security they do not deserve. It does not lower costs all though that is what they try to pump into everyones minds in order to get the law passed.