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Pre-Med Students, Medical Students, and Physicians of New York State;
We currently are in one of those moments where we can strongly influence the course of politics and the very face of Medicine in the state. Albany is currently debating the state budget and central in the debate is a package of 70+ legislative actions that would lower the State debt by directly engaging the rate of medical malpractice, physician liability, and physician compensation through Medicaid. The package was crafted by an independent group of analysts containing no doctors, and sees that reducing the need for defensive medicine will be a massive catalyst for both fixing the New York budget and the current state of medicine done for the sake of lawsuit protection, rather than common sense practice. The budget has the support of the Medical Society of The State of New York, has the support of the Governor, and has passed in The State Senate, but was stopped short in The State Assembly. It is at this moment where we students, with our unique perspective, should be acting.
As medical students, considering where to practice is one of the most important decisions we will ever make in our lives. Given the extraordinary debt burden that most of students face (the average medical student debt now exceeds $150,000, with most Manhattan schools reaching well past $200,000), the outrageously high costs that physicians have to pay in medical liability insurance premiums will make it very difficult for students to consider practicing in New York State. This has led to New York being acutely affected by issues of student emigration, leading to holes in the training-to-practice system that has both allowed offshore schools to move in en masse and for highly-skilled, NY-trained, doctors to leave the state that trained them depleting pool of candidates to be the new generation to carry on the tradition of excellence.
The enormous costs of practice in New York are driven in significant part by the failed medical liability adjudication system. Many studies have conclusively demonstrated that this failed system generates cases where awards are made despite the absence of any negligence whatsoever. Moreover, in addition to rapidly increasing awards, tens of millions of our premium dollars are spent each year to defend cases where no payment is ever made to the plaintiff. A large portion of the dollars paid into the malpractice system, furthermore, never reaches the plaintiff but is expended on the process costs of this grossly inefficient adjudication system.
These problems are particularly acute in New York. Malpractice payouts and premiums in this State continue to be far out of proportion to the rest of country, and the highest in the nation in every aspect. For example, in 2008, by far and away, New York State had the highest number of paid medical liability claims in the country (1,373), more than 50% greater than the next highest state, California (901), and more than 60% greater than the state with the third highest number, Florida (842). As a result, physicians in New York pay among the highest liability insurance premiums in the country. This must change. Im not going to risk my career and wallet on this nonsense, just because I love New York.
The legislation aims to put caps on non-economic damages of malpractice, create an indemnity fund to pay for neurologic injuries in infants, and will require that doctors who testify against other doctors be licensed and practice in the field in which they are testifying. It wont all be roses and sunshine for doctors though, the cost-cutting measures dont just come from tort reform, but also from some cut backs on compensation for procedures. But we as students have the unique ability to say that¸ while we acknowledge that it does cut from our direct profits; the fact that this bill creates a system that is much more hospitable to practice in is more than enough to offset it. If nothing else can be said about this budget legislation, it is fair. Cuts come from all across the board in healthcare, and it makes the NY system more honest and more in line with the rest of the nation.
I urge you. If this message spoke to you at all, click on this link (http://capwiz.com/mssny/state/main/?state=NY) and support the medical liability reform legislation. If you really care about this issue, like I and so many other students do, write your own letter to your legislators. Handwriting it is even more impressive. Call them. Do something to change the medical landscape for the better. Right now the world knows exactly where doctors stand. Its not often that medical students have been actively engaged, and we have been, to talk on matters as big as this. Answer the call and tell your legislators to support the passing of this portion of the budget whole and as-is.
Thank You,
Excelsior
We currently are in one of those moments where we can strongly influence the course of politics and the very face of Medicine in the state. Albany is currently debating the state budget and central in the debate is a package of 70+ legislative actions that would lower the State debt by directly engaging the rate of medical malpractice, physician liability, and physician compensation through Medicaid. The package was crafted by an independent group of analysts containing no doctors, and sees that reducing the need for defensive medicine will be a massive catalyst for both fixing the New York budget and the current state of medicine done for the sake of lawsuit protection, rather than common sense practice. The budget has the support of the Medical Society of The State of New York, has the support of the Governor, and has passed in The State Senate, but was stopped short in The State Assembly. It is at this moment where we students, with our unique perspective, should be acting.
As medical students, considering where to practice is one of the most important decisions we will ever make in our lives. Given the extraordinary debt burden that most of students face (the average medical student debt now exceeds $150,000, with most Manhattan schools reaching well past $200,000), the outrageously high costs that physicians have to pay in medical liability insurance premiums will make it very difficult for students to consider practicing in New York State. This has led to New York being acutely affected by issues of student emigration, leading to holes in the training-to-practice system that has both allowed offshore schools to move in en masse and for highly-skilled, NY-trained, doctors to leave the state that trained them depleting pool of candidates to be the new generation to carry on the tradition of excellence.
The enormous costs of practice in New York are driven in significant part by the failed medical liability adjudication system. Many studies have conclusively demonstrated that this failed system generates cases where awards are made despite the absence of any negligence whatsoever. Moreover, in addition to rapidly increasing awards, tens of millions of our premium dollars are spent each year to defend cases where no payment is ever made to the plaintiff. A large portion of the dollars paid into the malpractice system, furthermore, never reaches the plaintiff but is expended on the process costs of this grossly inefficient adjudication system.
These problems are particularly acute in New York. Malpractice payouts and premiums in this State continue to be far out of proportion to the rest of country, and the highest in the nation in every aspect. For example, in 2008, by far and away, New York State had the highest number of paid medical liability claims in the country (1,373), more than 50% greater than the next highest state, California (901), and more than 60% greater than the state with the third highest number, Florida (842). As a result, physicians in New York pay among the highest liability insurance premiums in the country. This must change. Im not going to risk my career and wallet on this nonsense, just because I love New York.
The legislation aims to put caps on non-economic damages of malpractice, create an indemnity fund to pay for neurologic injuries in infants, and will require that doctors who testify against other doctors be licensed and practice in the field in which they are testifying. It wont all be roses and sunshine for doctors though, the cost-cutting measures dont just come from tort reform, but also from some cut backs on compensation for procedures. But we as students have the unique ability to say that¸ while we acknowledge that it does cut from our direct profits; the fact that this bill creates a system that is much more hospitable to practice in is more than enough to offset it. If nothing else can be said about this budget legislation, it is fair. Cuts come from all across the board in healthcare, and it makes the NY system more honest and more in line with the rest of the nation.
I urge you. If this message spoke to you at all, click on this link (http://capwiz.com/mssny/state/main/?state=NY) and support the medical liability reform legislation. If you really care about this issue, like I and so many other students do, write your own letter to your legislators. Handwriting it is even more impressive. Call them. Do something to change the medical landscape for the better. Right now the world knows exactly where doctors stand. Its not often that medical students have been actively engaged, and we have been, to talk on matters as big as this. Answer the call and tell your legislators to support the passing of this portion of the budget whole and as-is.
Thank You,
Excelsior
