Click Here For BalancedPolitics.org - Malpractice Lawsuit Caps (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against)

BalancedPolitics.org - Malpractice Lawsuit Caps (Pros & Cons, Arguments For and Against): "Health-care costs are exploding out of control. Virtually everyone has noticed increases in premiums, co-pays, deductibles, etc. The number of uninsured Americans continues to grow. Much of the health care cost problems can be contributed to medical malpractice lawsuits. Astronomical verdicts have led to massive increases in the cost to doctors of medical malpractice insurance. Doctors must pay up to $200,000 per year in insurance, depending on their specialty. Doctors are forced to pass these costs to patients, which partially explains the cost increases. A number of doctors have even gone on strike around the country recently to protest the rising malpractice insurance costs.

When a patient sues a doctor for malpractice, he or she may recover monetary damages for lost wages, medical bills, and pain & suffering. In some cases, punitive damages can also be collected. President Bush has proposed putting a cap of $250,000 on the pain & suffering portion of these damages. Despite majority support in the Senate, Democrats have been able to filibuster the proposal, effectively killing it. "