Toward a 21st-Century Health Care System: The Devil Is in the Details

Abstract

Letters1 September 2009Toward a 21st-Century Health Care System: The Devil Is in the DetailsLester Mayers, MDLester Mayers, MDFrom Pace University, Pleasantville, NY 10570.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-5-200909010-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Concerning the article by Arrow and colleagues (1), I am surprised that they did not suggest tort liability relief for all health care providers. During my 40-year career in medical practice, departmental administration, and medical and hospital malpractice claims review, I have observed that at least 10% to 15% of medical costs result from malpractice-liability insurance and “defensive medicine” practices. Meaningful reform will not be affordable if these costs are ignored.Lester Mayers, MDPace UniversityPleasantville, NY 10570Reference1. Arrow K, Auerbach A, Bertko J, Brownlee S, Casalino LP, Cooper J, et al. Toward a 21st-century health care system: recommendations for health care reform. Ann Intern Med. 2009;150:493-5. [PMID: 19258550] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Pace University, Pleasantville, NY 10570.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoToward a 21st-Century Health Care System: Recommendations for Health Care Reform Kenneth Arrow , Alan Auerbach , John Bertko , Shannon Brownlee , Lawrence P. Casalino , Jim Cooper , Francis J. Crosson , Alain Enthoven , Elizabeth Falcone , Robert C. Feldman , Victor R. Fuchs , Alan M. Garber , Marthe R. Gold , Dana Goldman , Gillian K. Hadfield , Mark A. Hall , Ralph I. Horwitz , Michael Hooven , Peter D. Jacobson , Timothy Stoltzfus Jost , Lawrence J. Kotlikoff , Jonathan Levin , Sharon Levine , Richard Levy , Karen Linscott , Harold S. Luft , Robert Mashal , Daniel McFadden , David Mechanic , David Meltzer , Joseph P. Newhouse , Roger G. Noll , Jan B. Pietzsch , Philip Pizzo , Robert D. Reischauer , Sara Rosenbaum , William Sage , Leonard D. Schaeffer , Edward Sheen , B. Michael Silber , Jonathan Skinner , Stephen M. Shortell , Samuel O. Thier , Sean Tunis , Lucien Wulsin Jr. , Paul Yock , Gabi Bin Nun , Stirling Bryan , Osnat Luxenburg , and Wynand P.M.M. van de Ven Toward a 21st-Century Health Care System: The Devil Is in the Details Robert M. Hansen Toward a 21st-Century Health Care System: The Devil Is in the Details Umesh Gidwani Toward a 21st-Century Health Care System: The Devil Is in the Details Philip Cohen Metrics 1 September 2009Volume 151, Issue 5Page: 366KeywordsConflicts of interestHealth careHealth care providersHospital medicine ePublished: 1 September 2009 Issue Published: 1 September 2009 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2009 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...