WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Barack Obama on Wednesday directed his administration to set up demonstration projects in several states to move toward medical malpractice reform, throwing a bone to Republicans who have long called for tort reform to bring down health care costs.
"I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I have talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs," the president said to a joint session of Congress.
He proposed demonstration projects - considered by the Bush administration - "on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine."
Mention of the issue prompted applause from the Republican side of the chamber.
From CNN Politics
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May God have mercy on each one of us and on the Doctors who deserve to be sued !
If anyone thinks that the democrats are going to pass anything that is going to deny one single red cent to one single trial lawyer (one of their main contributors), I've got a real estate deal I'd like to talk to you about.
When that republican Boustanny got up to rebuttal President Obama, I just turned off the television to avoid killing the spirit.
God bless President Obama.
Well maybe if some of those Republicans sitting in the front rows can stop texting on their cell phones. In response to Senator Boustany and the Republican party, how do you expect to educate people to make healthy choices in life if you continue to try to cut spending in education. The senator just said that it will help lower health care costs if people are more educated about their health! So, what do you want to do, help educate people or continue to see health care costs rise? MAKE A DECISION!!! I am very glad to hear President Obama come out tonight and hear what his plan has in store for us. I am a 23 year old single mother in my last year of nursing school. I can't wait to see his plan pass because from what I heard tonight.
TORT reform is reasonable, but i never hear any republican ideas about what they want done besides for putting a cap on settlements.
They also need to address the bonuses that the lawyers for both the insurance companies and underwriters get when there are no claims or few claims made against a policy. The amount of money is staggering. Tort reform pales by comparison.
Tort reform and over regulation are the First priority anything else on the table is worthless.
Lip service only. Let's see it written into one of the proposed bills.
I support PRESIDENT OBAMA
That's what republicans want they say leave health care with insurance companies and cut malpractice suits and give tax cuts to big business for providing health insurance to their employees....where does that leave the unemployed?????big business.....big business....big business do the republicans ever ever ever think of anything else.
Complete nonsense. He knows, I know, you know, everyone knows– there isn't a chance in the world that this Congress passes meaningful tort reform. He's just throwing out a bone to appease some gullible people out there.
The republicans are not. It is not their failed plan.
Yes, serious malpractice reform can result in an immediate 10% healthcare savings in lawsuits, lost work time, lower insurance premiums and most importantly fewer unnecessary tests. Without serious malpractice reform, healthcare reform will be weak at best.
President Obama respectfully considers the input of others. It is admirable that he is open to malpractice reforms in efforts to achieve bipartisan support.
God Bless America and our President!
Hey, I'm a progressive and I like this idea. Lets cut from both ends. Compromises are never one sided.
I watched the whole speech. President Obama is a very skilled problem-solver. After his two terms, he will leave the future presidents little to do.
Lets hope Obama has only one term So far this one has been a model in how to appease the right to the detriment of the middle class
It's about time!!!
Is anyone surprised that a middle aged white guy from the south thinks its okay to yell and call the first AA POTUS a liar during a world wide televised address to Congress? Why do people continue to suggest that there is no element of racism at the base of the criticisms and opposition of Pres. Obama? Wilson's hate so overwhelmed him that he could not contain himself. So sad.
Tort reform can mean different things. If the president means to put a monetary cap on malpractice rewards it is unconstitutional because everyone is entitled to a trial by jury without any restrictions on the determination of the jury. Very few malpractice cases even go to trial and the costs of the trials don't add that much to the cost of medical care.
However, if the president is talking about having panels determine whether or not a charge of malpractice meets the standards for a trial or if it is frivilous and can be settled by the parties involved, then it could be workable. Most cases of malpractice are settled out of court anyway.
I can go with this, and I'm a Dem... There needs to be tort reform.
now Goper's.. What can you live with?
It will never happen. The American Trial Lawyers' Association are the top donors to the Democrat party.
President Obama is willing to work with republicans to get the job done on health insurance. republicans can learn a lot from this very smart and intelligent President Barack Obama he says what he mean and mean what he says.
Today we know where we are the way republicans behave proved where in 1960s
Whenever the issue of tort reform comes up I wonder if you would be content with a $250,000 payment if your obstetrician made a mistake and your child died. Or was so grievously injured that they would spend their life in a wheelchair? I am not sure how one outs a price on something like that. So here is my proposal. The difficulty with payouts in these sorts of claims is that they raise the malpractice insurance premiums that doctors have to pay. But as far as I know health insurance companies that administer these policies are quite profitable. Instead of capping awards to plaintiffs why don't we provide relief for doctors by capping the cost of malpractice insurance premiums?