Government
Ohio voters support appeals
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 26, 2004
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.