Medical Malpractice Misinformation

Misinformation abounds in our news media about medical malpractice lawsuits. We often see stories arguing that the cost of defending malpractice lawsuits and compensating victims is a major component of the escalating cost of health care generally. Of course this ignores the basic fairness of responsible wrongdoers bearing the cost of compensating victims, and the fact that health insurers are actually reimbursed out of lawsuit proceeds for the costs they pay for care resulting from malpractice. In addition, the total amount spent on defending malpractice claims and compensating victims amounts to less than half of one percent of the almost three trillion dollars a year paid for health care in this Country – a small drop in the total healthcare spending bucket.