Letter: Public must push for tort reform in medical field

Wednesday, March 6, 2002 | 8:41 a.m.

Thank you so much for Brian Greenspun's Feb. 19 column, "State's medical mess." As a practicing cardiologist in Nevada, recent events have given us all great heartache.

Nevada's doctors have felt overwhelmed by recent events. Unfortunately, as doctors concentrating on medical care, we are poorly organized to tackle the lawyers' lobby or the intricacies of the legislative process. Smug letters from attorneys insisting on the unrestricted right to sue to infinity have made things untenable for many doctors in Nevada.

Without some tort reform, things will continue to escalate until many of the outstanding doctors have left for other states with a more reasonable legal environment. Contrary to public perception, doctors can't simply increase rates to offset increased expenses.

I am not an expert, but most patients seem happy with their doctors. The actual number of lawsuits in Nevada is less than 200. Those few lawsuits, with far higher comparative awards than in other states, are driving the cost of insurance so high that ultimately public access to medical care will suffer. The time for public outcry and action is now.

The public needs to realize that they have to effect a choice. Either continue without tort reform and watch medical care and access suffer for all, or do something, and help Nevada's medical system.

With no action, we all end up with what we may unfortunately deserve, fantastic legal representation for a very few, and drastically poorer medical care, with a shortage of talented doctors, for all.

SAMUEL GREEN