by Effie Moore Salem

Created on: June 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2011

Medical malpractice has sent the insurance rates, which  doctors must pay in order to practice medicine, through the ceiling. Many have had to move to other lower insurance locations out of state in order to afford to keep working in their chosen fields. A few rotten apples does not spoil the whole barrel and neither does a few misfits in the medical profession taint all of them, but try to convince the insurance companies of that. Of course they know this and they need no convincing but they are taking no chances with the trial lawyers.

Insurance companies are not out to legislate morality, they are out to do business profitably and in order to make enough money to afford the payouts they are being asked to pay, they must raise the insurance rates. Before this present get rich scheme escalated to where it is now, a few claims now and then for malpractice or simple human errors was about all there were to doctor's law suits.

Yet people, those who need doctors as well as those who need lawyers, and yes, even doctors and lawyers, all need medical care now and then and mistakes do happen. Medicine is an inexact science and most of them committing their life to treating others people's ills have their heart in the right place. Yet who considers them and their high education bills and their high insurance rates? Who pays for the lawsuits against doctors? The patients, that who. Yet shouldn't they, as a group, be more responsible about their actions?

Yes of course they should, and the attitude of the medical profession as a whole, takes all this into consideration. They are more cautious in their actions and will more closely follow the tried and true methods to ensure that there will be no repercussions should they be seen as neglectful of their duties concerning their patients. They will keep better records and will order tests and blood work not necessary so they will have facts and figures to present to the judge in court should they be sued for negligence or wrong diagnosis, etc.

In other words, dishonest actions by a few, whether doctors, assistants, patients, lawyers, insurance agents, whomever do taint the whole area of medical care. Soon, a whole new way of doing business becomes the norm and the way of integrity takes a back seat. Many talented would be doctors never get the chance to enter the field where they inherently have a special 'calling' or knack simply because they cannot afford it. Many already in practice, possibly those with the wherewithal

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