Acton Institute Powerblog Archives

Post Tagged 'tort reform'

December 11, 2013

The Secret Ingredient for Effective Healthcare Reform

In today’s Acton Commentary I explore how our hyper-regulated and increasingly statist healthcare system is chasing off good physicians. A recent article in Forbes by Bruce Japsen provides some additional support for that argument: Doctor and nurse vacancies are approaching nearly 20 percent at hospitals as these facilities prepare to be inundated by millions of patients who have the ability to pay for medical care thanks to the Affordable Care Act. Continue Reading...
September 02, 2009

Health Rationing for the Greater Good

[UPDATE BELOW] I discussed the creepy side of President Obama’s “science czar” here. But there are more creepy things in the cabinet. The Wall Street Journal reports that the president’s health policy adviser, Dr. Continue Reading...
August 26, 2009

Patients and Doctors

In an Acton Commentary this week, I argue that a critical piece of any comprehensive and meaningful reform of the health care system must include malpractice litigation (tort) reform. Part of what makes this so urgent is that the litigious climate in which we live has eroded the doctor-patient relationship. Continue Reading...
May 21, 2009

Hate the Sin, Tax the Sinner?

Update (5/21): The New York Daily News reports that “state lawmakers are trying to give the fat tax new life.” Senate Democrats want to impose a penny excise tax on non-diet sodas to help fund a plan to provide property tax relief to homeowners. Continue Reading...
September 18, 2007

This Guy Has No Standing

In an attempt to oppose legislative action on tort reform, Nebraska Democratic State Senator Ernie Chambers “filed a lawsuit against God in Douglas County Court.” “The Constitution requires that the courthouse doors be open, so you cannot prohibit the filing of suits,” Chambers says. Continue Reading...
April 10, 2007

Well, allow me to re-tort

Last month the Pacific Research Institute released a report estimating that costs associated with the American tort system exceed $865 billion per year (HT). Check it out for a detailed breakdown and comparison of these costs with other sectors of the economy and government spending. Continue Reading...
August 31, 2006

Tort Law on Trial

Tort reform has been on the political agenda for some time. Eric Helland and Alexander Tabarrok make a unique contribution to the debate in their new monograph, Judge and Jury: American Tort Law on Trial (Independent Institute). Continue Reading...
March 17, 2006

Benefits of tort reform

A recent NBER working paper, “The Effects of Tort Reform on Medical Malpractice Insurers’ Ultimate Losses,” argues that “The long run effects of reforms are greater than insurers’ expected effects, as five year developed losses and ten year developed losses are below the initially reported incurred losses for those years following reform measures.” Continue Reading...