Via Calpundit, this interesting article from the Florida Sun-Sentinal.
….What happened after that “was pretty scary,” said Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, the Senate minority leader.
“People who had testified before us on previous occasions got up there and told us different things.”
The president of the state’s largest malpractice-insurance company said no, insurers didn’t need a cap on jury awards to be profitable. A state regulator said no, there hasn’t been an explosion of frivolous lawsuits.
A state insurance regulator surprised senators by saying he often depended on insurance companies’ information when deciding whether to raise rates. “So you rely on the fox to guard the henhouse,” grumbled Sen. Walter “Skip” Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale.
And guess what? Contrary to stories of doctors quitting the business, the number of licensed doctors is increasing. A Health Department official said new applications for new medical licenses in Florida rose from 2,261 in fiscal 2000 to 2,658 in fiscal 2003.
As Kevin says, “legislatures ought to make testifying under oath standard practice.”.
I’m surprised they didn’t just lie. After all, tobacco companies have lied to Congress with impunity. “Tobacco is not addictive.” Bush lied to Congress and the entire country and when it all shakes out, he won’t be held accoutable for it.
I am not amazed at their testimony — it’s likely that anyone who is really studies the malpractice controversy will know that the problem is the insurance companies, not the lawyers….but I am really amazed that the insurance representatives told the truth. I thought lying through your teeth was a prerequisite for being an insurance industry lobbyist.
We now take control of your blog for an urgent effort on civil disobedience against friends of the Republican Party.
How to force congress to pass a prescription drug benefit under Medicare Part B
Now you have the opportunity to repeal HR 1/ S 1 the Republican prescription drug plan and replace it with a prescription drug benefit under Medicare Part B
Call Eckerd Pharmacy Corporate Headquarters at 1-800-325-3737 and tell them unless they can get the congress to pass
a prescription drug benefit under Medicare part B covering 80 percent of medication with no extra premium, no extra deductibles, no means test, no coverage gaps, you will not buy from them and you will tell your friends also not to buy from them.
Call CVS Pharmacy Corporate headquarters at 888 607-4287
and tell them unless they can get the congress to pass a prescription drug benefit under Medicare part B covering 80 percent of medication with no extra premium, no extra deductibles, no means test, no coverage gaps, you will not buy from them and you will tell your friends also not to buy from them.
Call Walgreens Pharmacy Corporate headquarters at 888 289 2273 and tell them unless they can get the congress to pass a prescription drug benefit under Medicare part B covering 80 percent of medication with no extra premium, no extra deductibles, no means test, no coverage gaps, you will not buy from them and you will tell your friends also not to buy from them.
Also read and sign the petition at
http://www.boycott-republicans.com
which covers a comprehensive progressive agenda.
How to stop the Republican initiated governor recall.
Hello
Several Republicans will run for Governor of California in a recall election. They have every right to run for governor.
Because the Republicans have decided to do this recall action I have a right to decide not to buy a car alarm called the Viper from Directed Electronics, a company that one of the candidates Darrell Issa works for.
I have a right to tell others not to buy products from Directed Electronics for this reason and call them at 1 800 876 0800 and demand that they get every Republican candidate to withdraw or they will lose alot of sales. So if you want to stop the Republicans from running, call Directed electronics and call car alarm dealers that sell the Viper and let the civil disobedience begin.
Also boycott the Terminator 3 and tell the local movie theatre manager why.
Also read and sign the petition at
http://www.boycott-republicans.com
which covers a comprehensive progressive agenda.
Good coin and interruption. I think they told the truth because of their bedrock honesty. Or, because of their fear of being sued by folks who could prove they were lying.
While they were under oath, shouldn’t the Senators have asked, “Why are you giving answers different from your earlier ones?” and explicitly made that connection.
I get Public Citizen’s paper, and their newsletter, *Health Watch*, so none of what these assholes are finally copping to under oath is news to me at all. $20-$60 a year well spent. PC also has a damn good internet site for those who can’t/won’t pony up money. Always a good way to start your coffee break if you want to be in a full-fledged slavering rage by the time lunch rolls around. :D
“Always a good way to start your coffee break if you want to be in a full-fledged slavering rage by the time lunch rolls around. :D”
That’s very thoughtful of you, Amy. :D
Hey, don’t thank me, John. Thank Dr. Sidney Wolfe and Joan Claybrook. ;)
I was wondering where I can find information about an insurance company and legal proceedings against them. I have found one site which monitors Northwestern Mutual http://www.nmlcomplaints.com but I am not able to find many like it for other companies. Any advice?
The problem is testifying oath doesn’t mean anything to anyone anymore. Most aren’t practicing, God fearing Christians so who cares if they swear on the bible.
Anyways, Doctors are paid well enough to stay in their practice or the number of registered doctors wouldn’t be going up every year.
Comment written by Medicare Supplier Directory
Ryan–sure it does. Nobody likes the idea of being brought up on perjury charges.