Government

Ohio voters support appeals

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 26, 2004

Print  |   Email  |   Respond  |   Reprints  |   Like Facebook  |   Share Twitter  |   Tweet Linkedin

The majority of Ohio voters polled in a recent survey said they would rather forgo suing their health plans and go through a "quick appeals process" with an independent panel of physicians not associated with their plans.

According to the survey by America's Health Insurance Plans, 75% of the 300 registered Ohio voters polled said the independent review panel was in the best interest of patients.

Twenty-one percent said giving patients the chance to sue their health plan and recover damages was the best option, and 4% said they did not know.

The survey was conducted in late March and early April, before the U.S. Supreme Court in June ruled that a Texas law giving patients the right to sue their health plans in state court was preempted by a federal law.

The poll also showed that 75% of voters want to see current medical liability rules changed to reduce frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits, while 23% said the rules should stay the same. And 88% of those surveyed said personal injury lawyers benefit more from the current medical liability system; only 7% said that patients benefit more.

"At a time when we're living in a 50-50 nation and voters are narrowly divided on so many issues, Ohio voters are sending a clear signal they do not believe more lawsuits are the solution to our health care problems," AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni said in a statement.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/07/26/gvbf0726.htm.

Back to top


ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISE HERE


Featured
Read story

Confronting bias against obese patients

Medical educators are starting to raise awareness about how weight-related stigma can impair patient-physician communication and the treatment of obesity. Read story


Read story

Goodbye

American Medical News is ceasing publication after 55 years of serving physicians by keeping them informed of their rapidly changing profession. Read story


Read story

Policing medical practice employees after work

Doctors can try to regulate staff actions outside the office, but they must watch what they try to stamp out and how they do it. Read story


Read story

Diabetes prevention: Set on a course for lifestyle change

The YMCA's evidence-based program is helping prediabetic patients eat right, get active and lose weight. Read story


Read story

Medicaid's muddled preventive care picture

The health system reform law promises no-cost coverage of a lengthy list of screenings and other prevention services, but some beneficiaries still might miss out. Read story


Read story

How to get tax breaks for your medical practice

Federal, state and local governments offer doctors incentives because practices are recognized as economic engines. But physicians must know how and where to find them. Read story


Read story

Advance pay ACOs: A down payment on Medicare's future

Accountable care organizations that pay doctors up-front bring practice improvements, but it's unclear yet if program actuaries will see a return on investment. Read story


Read story

Physician liability: Your team, your legal risk

When health care team members drop the ball, it's often doctors who end up in court. How can physicians improve such care and avoid risks? Read story

  • Stay informed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • LinkedIn