Panel shares liability worries

The rising insurance costs for doctors and hospitals may cause everyone in the health care… The rising insurance costs for doctors and hospitals may cause everyone in the health care system to lose out, according to a panel of doctors, patients, specialists in the medical field and business representatives. The panel met Wednesday with local state representatives for an emergency hearing on the liability insurance crisis in Pennsylvania.

“Too many of our resources are splurged on exorbitant medical insurance,” said Paul Bacharach, the president and CEO of Uniontown Hospital.

The panel members expressed concerns that, currently, doctors and hospitals are financially burdened because of the cost of insurance to protect them from lawsuits. A few of the panelists expressed specific worries for the specialists. Specialists, such as gynecologists and obstetricians, are sometimes forced to stop practicing some procedures, such as delivering babies, because the costs are simply too high for the practices to afford.

“Every delivery is a malpractice litigation waiting to happen,” said Dr. Dennis English, a Pittsburgh gynecologist.

The hearing, which took place in the Biomedical Science Tower on the Pitt campus, brought together those from the medical field and also those affected by the rising costs to testify to legislators in hope of reform.

Representatives hope that the testimony given at these hearings will inspire the governor to put in force an emergency session of the state legislature. The legislators would discuss the crisis in detail and possibly propose a Pennsylvania constitutional amendment to remedy the problem.

Representative Mike Turzai of the North Hills led the panel of legislators. He said the evidence gathered, at this hearing and three others, was needed to change the state constitution.

Dr. Marshall W. Webster, the president and CEO of University of Pittsburgh Physicians as well as a professor of surgery at the Pitt medical school said that small practices and specialty caregivers were retiring or leaving the state.

“They’re not taking the opportunities available in Pennsylvania,” Webster said.

But according to the panel, the medical opportunities in Pennsylvania come at a higher cost than in many states across the nation.

“Pennsylvania has an environment hostile for medicine,” said Dr. Christine B. Wilson, a Laurel Highlands gynecologist.

Christopher J. Masciantonio of United States Steel and Thomas O. Armstrong of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association testified the liability crisis extended from the medical field to Pennsylvania businesses.

Masciantonio said that thousands of steel workers are losing their health care benefits because the costs are simply too high for companies to pay.

Armstrong pointed out that businesses could not be producing more defective products than in the past just as doctors couldn’t be making that many more mistakes than in the past. However, the costs for insurance continue to rise.

Armstrong called for a cap on “non-economic damages,” which would help not only the medical community, but businesses as well.

“We may have a medical crisis but no question a liability crisis,” Armstrong said.

Legislators and speakers tossed around the number $250,000 as the limit for a settlement paid in a lawsuit. This amount, inspired by California’s current cap, would reduce the amount of money hospitals and doctors would have to pay for their insurance policies. This in turn would also aid businesses in providing coverage for their employees.