Docs are human, too; tort limits make sense
Cheryl Myers' Nov. 15 letter, "Doctors should be held accountable," provides a lopsided reality of health care. Because she believes lives are "priceless," the penalty for mistakes should be "bottomless." Her perspective is obviously very limited. I don't know anyone who has the ability to pay bottomless penalties except the federal government who can print their own money - at taxpayer expense.
I have lived and received health care and worked in health care in six states and know that standards of care don't vary that much. They are certainly not mediocre in one state and impeccable in another. Such a conclusion is just plain absurd.
What Ms. Myers fails to take into account is that health care providers are human. We do make mistakes. Fortunately, most of the time they don't result in patient injury or death. Also, because health care providers are human, we're not at the top of our game every day. Yet we're expected to perform flawlessly. We see people at their best and their worst and a full spectrum in between. We're expected to provide the best care we can regardless of how patients treat us and regardless of reimbursement. Reimbursement is steadily deteriorating while expenses continue to rise.
People scream about the cost of health care but part of the reason for the cost is the expectation of a bottomless payoff if someone makes a mistake or in some cases of a bad outcome even if nobody did anything wrong. In many cases this results in insurance premiums so high that providers can no longer afford to provide care. Health care providers do not have the ability to make bottomless salaries. Health care reimbursement is a fraction of what is billed or sometimes nothing at all. Reasonable compensation for a grievous error or neglect is just. That requires affordable insurance.
The expectation of people in this country that when something happens, "somebody should pay me while I sit on my butt and take no responsibility," is the real problem. Doctors are not responsible for everything that goes wrong with patient care. Some patients refuse or are unable to follow directions. People have adverse reactions to drugs or healing problems that are beyond the control of the doctor. Many people can't afford or don't seek regular health care. Poor outcomes can result from poor choices on the part of the patient. Sometimes stuff just happens! Humans are complex often with complex health problems. Health care isn't as simple as an oil change or tire rotation.
If you believe you are receiving poor care, talk to your provider. Talk to the hospital administration. Find another doctor. The purpose of putting a cap on medical malpractice suits has nothing to do with protecting poor practice. Health care certainly isn't what it used to be. We're underpaid and overworked. Providers are always the first to receive reduced reimbursement or have their jobs eliminated when there's a budget problem. Hospital staffing has been dangerously reduced over the years.
Robert B. Morgan
Elburn