Doctors Seek Fees at Time Of Service

March 5, 2009

When Nicole Atkinson, 29, of Baltimore scheduled the first obstetrics appointment of her pregnancy last year, she knew the experience would come with its share of surprises. But Atkinson wasn’t at all prepared for a financial one: a request to pay up her full deductible — $600 — before the doctor would see her for the exam.

 

“So, I fired her,” says Atkinson, who then switched doctors to one who charged only a co-pay for each visit.

 

But if Atkinson decides to have another baby, she may not be able to avoid that balloon payment. More and more physicians are asking for the patient’s share of that day’s medical fees, including any deductible set by the insurer, at the time of the visit.

 

Read Article: Washington Post

 

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney

Bill increasing requirements for malpractice suits gets nod

A bill that would increase the burden of evidence required in medical malpractice claims in medical emergencies narrowly passed its initial Senate floor vote Tuesday.

 

SB79 would require medical malpractice litigants to establish “clear and convincing” evidence in malpractice suits involving emergency care. Currently, litigants must only provide a preponderance of evidence.

 

The bill is part of a broad effort to address the role of litigation to soaring medical costs.

Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, expressed concern that the higher standard of evidence is the same used in fraud cases and wouldn’t translate well to malpractice suits.

 

Read Article: Salt Lake Tribune

 

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney

Hawaii Legislature advances bill to limit malpractice lawsuits

The state House Judiciary Committee approved a bill yesterday that could lead to additional caps on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice claims against doctors in five specialties vulnerable to lawsuits.

 

The vote was a significant hurdle for doctors and other supporters of malpractice reform, since similar bills have died before the committee in the past. The bill was drafted as a compromise to get House approval and to encourage talks with the state Senate, where many senators are opposed.

 

Advocates believe the bill addresses one key reason for the flight of some doctors from the Islands. Yesterday’s action positions the bill for a full House vote after several years where malpractice reform has idled.

 

The bill would create a medical malpractice task force that would recommend caps on non-economic damages, such as emotional distress and loss of companionship, to lawmakers before the 2010 session. A separate medical malpractice insurance rate commission would recommend reasonable market-price malpractice insurance rates.

 

Read Article: Honolulu Advertiser

 

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney

Food-Safety Proposal Empowers U.S. to Force Recalls

Food-safety legislation introduced in the Senate today would give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration new power to order recalls and open companies’ internal records for inspection.

 

Senators Richard Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and Judd Gregg, Republican of New Hampshire, sponsored the measure, the first since President Barack Obama offered a budget proposal last week allocating $1 billion to strengthen food safety.

 

“Over the last year, we’ve seen major recalls of peanut butter spiked with salmonella, spinach laced with e-coli and chili loaded with botulism,” Durbin said at a news conference. “These are not isolated incidents and are the result of an outdated, underfunded and overwhelmed food-safety system.”

 

Read Article: Bloomberg

 

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney

Car seat tests reveal ‘flaws’

In a government crash-test video, the infant car seat flies off its base, smashing the baby dummy — still strapped into the carrier — upside down and face-first into the back of the driver’s seat. Think what could happen in a real crash.

This seat was one of 31 that either flew off their bases or exceeded injury limits in a series of frontal crashes conducted by federal researchers using 2008 model year vehicles, a Tribune investigation found. The test results were never publicized, and even some infant-seat makers were unaware of their existence.

The Tribune found the results buried in thousands of pages of test reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. These tests are used to rate the safety of cars, not the child restraints in them.

 

Read Article: Chicago Tribune

 

Posted By: Phoenix DUI Attorney

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