Torte Reform - Some Numbers for You

Abigail and Dolley readers know I have been yelling from the roof tops that any meaningful health care REFORM (not take over or destruction) must include lawsuit/torte reform.  None of the bills in Congress address this issue at all.  Some provisions actually give tax breaks and hand outs to the trial lawyers, why you ask?  Money and special interest - the trial lawyers bought Congress and Congress is paying them back.

Driving home late last night, I heard Jason Lewis throw out some figures - I will need to do a bit more research and verify these numbers since I wasn't taking notes.  Forgive me if I am off a few bucks here, but I think this may startle you.  Perhaps it will cause you to act:

1. A family of 4 right now spends $9800 annually more from products so that companies can pay their liability insurance.  That's right, the helmet you bought, the skateboard you bought, the knife you bought, the cookware you bought, the hammer you bought... all have frivolous law suit money and protection built in to them.
2. The estimated annual cost for medical malpractice insurance in the USA is $100 Billion Dollars.
3. The estimated annual cost for defensive medicine (ordering test you really don't need to cover the DR. in case you sue them) is $163 Billion Dollars.
4. $0.54 of every health care dollar goes to administration/paperwork, malpractice insurance, and lawyers.

Now, you tell me, why would we not be looking at this first?  I hold, because it is not about doing what is right, it is about taking control and power.  It is not about doing good, it is about paying back your buddies.  It is a lack of honor, honesty, and humility that has fueled the anger of the American people.  Even if you are for the reformation of the healthcare system, you can not as an American oppose torte reform.  If this is not in the bill, then ask yourself, what is?