well, about education - really good thinking docs do not practice "Test everything-Rule out everything" medicine.
I actually know some. They practice good old - "Good history and physical exam are 95% of diagnosis" - this is actually preached by good professors in medical schools and training around the country. But the practice of ordering multiple often expensive tests is cheaper and provides more documentation - so in practice many just get into a habit of doing this. Am I personally free of succumbing to this trend 100% of the time - no. But I try my best....

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Happy New Year to all! Virtual hugs!

yeah, how could I have forgotten..we have tons of special courts - family, small claims, divorce.etc...crazy that it has not still been done with medical..

btw, I love and have old school docs..all my docs are old..(ch)not all, but...my pediatrician is kind of old (ready to retire), and every time I "cheat" on him, I come back right away...the other ones :-|they tell you scary stuff - it's either hip displasia with newborn, heart murmur with cardiologist referral, for some unkonown reason they want to do a urinalysis and find sugar there...all turned out to be false...but who needs the agrivation?...old school rules..

California took care of the frivolous lawsuits a while ago - they capped the pain and suffering rewards at around $250,000. End of story.
You can still sue for real damages. So, no victim's rights are denied.
A lot less harassment for doctors, cheaper malpractice insurance.

Maria, the 250k limit is a cope-out.. patching a problem with no real benefits ( as been proven in every state that passed the limit ) instead of solving it.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Mike - solving what?
Un-educated, un-expirienced doctors - the people that took the Oath not to do bad things to their patients and still make mistakes.

Isn't it back to taking responsibility - for a personal and professional conduct?

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Global Cooling for the next 30 years!!! - Does not expire!!!

Gera eeeeh?
I am not sure what you are talking about..
If you take an Oath you can't make mistakes any more?
Anyway, the problems are outlined in that manifesto that you linked pretty well.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

Maria, the 250k limit is a cope-out.. patching a problem with no realbenefits ( as been proven in every state that passed the limit )instead of solving it.
Not sure what you mean either.
The climate for practicing medicine in California is a lot healthier as a result of that single change in the malpractice law than in , say, Pennsylvania, where some specialties pay up to $200,000 a year in malpractice insurance.

Maria, it's not how much you pay, it's how much you get sued. When Texas passed liability cap the insurance premiums did not go down.
The fear of being sued is why MDs practice defensive medicine, not the fear of big awards.
Tort lawyers mostly rely on stupid jury to award insane verdicts. If the cases were decided on merit by qualified individuals it would solve most of the problems.

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Человек, который почувствовал ветер перемен, должен построить не щит от ветра, а ветряную мельницу

where did you get the facts that the Tort reform doesn't lower premiums, payouts and number of lawsuits?
I just scanned the web, and found many references that it did..