Illinois Lawmakers Pushing to Limit Victim's Rights
Republicans and Democrats alike are currently pushing a medical malpractice reform bill through the Illinois General Assembly. This bill severly limits a victim's access to the courts by capping their ability to recover for losses caused by a negligent doctor. This bill is riding a wave generated by the battle cry of "doctors fleeing the state" and "who is going to deliver your baby?". This cry, propagated in no small part by insurance companies, tugs at the heartstrings--but is completly false and inaccurate...
A study released today by Professor Neil Vidmar from Duke University finds no exodus of doctors whatsoever. If fact, the number of the doctors in the State of Illinois has increased steadily since 1993. An except of Prof. Vidmar's findings are below:
-There has been a steady increase in the absolute number of Illinois' total patient care physicians in the period 1993-2003 (the latest date reliable date are available) from 24,514 in 1993 to 30,264 in 2003.-The trend is upward or steady for Ob-Gyns (1,596 in 1993 to 1,814 in 2003) and neurological surgeons (191 in 1993 to 212 in 2003);
-The data lend no support to the claim that physicians are leaving the state, at least relative to other states;
-American Medical Association statistics through 2003 do not support claims of a loss of doctors in Madison and Sr. Clair counties. Changes since 2003 may have occurred, but proponents of the claim of major losses of doctors have not substantiated their claims by citing any available sources.
The complete study and accompanying letter from the Illinois State Bar Association is found here. This study is only the most recent in a handful of studies proving no link between lawsuits and doctors' increasing medical malpractice insurance rates.