Medical Malpractice and A National Medical Network

Probably the most cited reason for over treatment and unnecessary medical care is the threat of medical malpractice.  This is no idle threat.  Physicians know that any bad outcome can potentially result in a lawsuit.  There are plenty of lawyers who can codge together a case based on outcome alone.  Insurers often settle rather than defend because it is less costly in the over all scheme of insurance.  There is no benefit to the care provider, however, and a medical malpractice award can stain an otherwise stellar medical career.

By creating a National Managed Medical Network, we may be able to change the dynamics of medical malpractice.  In our current system, the physician stands alone when a lawsuit is filed.  In a Managed Medical System, the management of care and responsibility for outcome is shared.  Any legal action, therefore, would be applied against the managed network as well as the provider. Someone now has the provider’s back.  Together, they can defend their management of care.  Of course, if there was truly malpractice, then the claim should be paid and the patient or patient’s family properly compensated.  But if the claim is not just, then the network and physician must fight.

One might also consider removing medical malpractice claims from the current system of torts and placing it into an adjudicative system with a panel of administrative law  judges.

This system, built around a Nationwide Managed Medical Network, could significantly change the face of health care by helping to free doctors from the threat of medical malpractice.