House passes Health Care Plan...

[PositiveOutlook]

Furnishedowner,


Since I guess it's obvious you are not going to provide the numbers from above, as your argument would fall apart...

"Is this a partisan issue in any way?"

All you have to do is look at the current bill from the house to answer this... It not only does not include tort reform, but pushes states AWAY from tort reform...  Howard Dean, former DNC chair and Presidential candidate recognized publicly that because the Dem's are so in the pocket for trial lawyers, that there would be no way they could Dem support for a health bill that included tort reform...

"Also we should be allowed to buy drugs in Canada or from any country with equivalent standards. "

No real argument here, with one exception... the reality that the more drugs bought outside of the US, the LESS American jobs for that industry...  but we've decimated other parts of our economy doing this to other industries, so why not this one...

"I agree that I trust government more than some of you do."

I don't understand why you think this is a good thing...  but I think that the case can be made that your answer to all ills in society that have been posted is government, despite their HORRIBLE track record in societal ill solutions...

"I feel government wrongs and excesses tend to self-correct, though it may take years."

Since you feel this way, can you provide to us an example of the government self-correcting their failures in societal programs on a Macro-scale...

"Companies and industries who enrich their CEOs and stockholders and do not care who has to pay for it"

The same can be said for the government, but the difference is that the government KNOWS who has to pay for it, and they do it WITH OUR MONEY, while BORROWING it to boot, making it harder for EVERYONE...

"There should be a limit to malpractice lawsuits...but what should it be? One Million for amputating the wrong limb?  Five million for death by incompetence?"

Tort reform is not only the effect of the monitary awards to individuals (which on average HALF goes to the LAWYERS) but also the effect on defensive medicine - doctors ordering tests they don't need BECAUSE of the threat of lawsuit. Malpractice insurance becomes prohibitively expensive to feed mostly LAWYERS, so this adds pressure to doctors to practicve the three R's - Restricting the services they offer, Retiring earler and Relocating - all which adds pressure to their local economy.  There's more, but you get the idea...

So it ADDS ALOT of costs to the system...  Ridiculous awards (money the individual would have NEVER made in their lifetime) should be reduced.  Their medical costs, if any, should be covered, compensated for lost time at work, proportional damages, and if injury is permanent, income to replace what they would have made in their lifetime to retirement * 1.25.

[furnishedowner]

I agree we need tort reform.  Who is for it, and who is against it?
Is this a Democratic or Republican issue at all?

Furnishedowner

[PositiveOutlook]

Furnishedowner,

"I agree we need tort reform.  Who is for it, and who is against it?"

If you are for it, Furnishedowner, don't look for it in ANY of the Dem plans out there right now... you won't find it...

"Is this a Democratic or Republican issue at all?"

Like I said, all you have to do is look at the bills being proposed... The Dem Plan... no tort reform and they have pressure on the states NOT to inlcude it...  The Rep plan does include tort reform...  to me, if one is for it and one is against it... seems to be an issue...

[propertymanager]

"I agree we need tort reform.  Who is for it, and who is against it?"

FurnishedOwner - how can you talk about health care when you don't even know what the parties are supporting? 

The socialists get a LOT of their money from the trial lawyers and are against tort reform.  The socialists don't care about health care - they care about CONTROL!

[jfpen]

I agree we need tort reform.  Who is for it, and who is against it?
Is this a Democratic or Republican issue at all?

Furnishedowner

Furnishedowner,
                               If you want to find out the truth about who influences the the status quo, follow the money.


http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=K01

[PositiveOutlook]

jfpen,

Good info...

It seems that not only are the lawyers rank #1 in campaign contributions but they overwhelming support the Dem's...  what is more interesting is how there contributions have INCREASED (to 80%) to the Dem's for the 2010 election cycle...  and the Dem healthcare bills are 2000+ pages and not only don't offer tort reform, but pressure states in the legislation not to adopt tort reform either...  coincidence?

Seem quite partisan...
 

[jfpen]

jfpen,

Good info...

It seems that not only are the lawyers rank #1 in campaign contributions but they overwhelming support the Dem's...  what is more interesting is how there contributions have INCREASED (to 80%) to the Dem's for the 2010 election cycle...  and the Dem healthcare bills are 2000+ pages and not only don't offer tort reform, but pressure states in the legislation not to adopt tort reform either...  coincidence?

Seem quite partisan...
 

I look at some of the posts on here and I can't believe how misinformed the people who pay attention to the junk media are. The Hedge funds sponsored all those greedy Republicans, Right? Wrong!

http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=F2700

[John_in_NC]

Looks like the Senate may be voting real soon on this.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/11/reid-on-health-care-bill-very-soon.html

[RonH]

Piss of a liberal... Work Hard, Save Money, Be Successful!

[Bluemoon06]

All you have to do is look at the current bill from the house to answer this... It not only does not include tort reform, but pushes states AWAY from tort reform...  Howard Dean, former DNC chair and Presidential candidate recognized publicly that because the Dem's are so in the pocket for trial lawyers, that there would be no way they could Dem support for a health bill that included tort reform...

I am not for tort reform.  Tort is not about who gets the money it is about who pays the money.  I think that a cap on damages just gives companies a hard backstop to use to figure the risks to doing bad business.

I have been in the meetings when we try to figure out the risk to the business for doing an improvement or not.

If you knew you were going to be out $1million if your business killed a person (because of limits on tort) and the likelihood was that you would kill 3 people if you didn’t put in a safeguard that would cost you $5million would you do it?

That is what tort is about.  You put the improvement in because you want to save a human life.  Tort reform makes it a business calculation.

[Mdhaas]

[John_in_NC]

OK guys, want to be a part of this opposition instead of arguing on an internet forum?? Protest tommorrow at 1PM at the steps of the capitol. I am betting we get passes to the gallery like we did during the house vote. BE THERE!!!

http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001a8Hy8I3nCiTu84Qz6puWQu5pbGOPD6uahpnEAVl4aMmO8LRjTELhs9DHEO_7Ity15TOLGqZOHZcemIU7VDqIbquDbso8NqbP9k4fwAWKBro%3D