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Originally Posted by dklassen
Personally I think it would be great for everyone to have health care that needs it. That certainly will be my #1 issue when I retire and it weighs heavily on my mind.
But the simple fact and bottom line is, the government is flat broke. It's programs are flat broke and you can only raise taxes so far before it trashes the economy which only compounds the problem.
The only solution I can see is in the private sector along with things like TORT reform. We will never get TORT reform from the center, it will only come from the right where it's generally originated from in the past. You never here the left or center talk about TORT reform.
Our current center used to be the "left." Our new left is now the radical left. For me I'm taking a hard right and staying there.
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I've always been an opponent of tort reform when the reform is basically to limit what a jury can do.
Juries decide how much is justifiable compensation for a harm. The entire concept of a "jury of your peers" - whether you are plaintiff or respondent - being able to quantify what is fair and just compensation for a harming keeps "harming" from being reduced to a minor factor in risk management.
At the end of every jury trial where a decision awarding $XXX occurs, the losing side immediately motions to the trial judge for a "judgment notwithstanding the verdict" At this time, the trial judge can step in, reverse the jury's decision and substitute his/her "wisdom" instead. If such an action happens, the now-losing party can appeal the judge's decision to the next-higher court.
Capping medical malpractice awards has been the medical profession's goal for many years, and they justify it as a means for reducing overall medical costs to the consumer. It sounds noble, but will it just increase the risk of more Thalidomide, rupturing breast implant, asbestos, Ford Pinto, Agent Orange, Love Canal and a host of other situations occurring, because the financial risk of a bad product or procedure is lowered?
I trust juries more than I trust industrial risk management actuaries as the check-and-balance in personal safety. At least I know the jurist is not going to profit from the matter.