The big difference, of course, is that lawyers are heavy campaign contributors to the Democratic party.

No, the big difference is litigation accounts for 1% - 2 % of the total health care costs and it's, maybe, better to concentrate on the 98% - 99% reasons for the cost.

You, of course, have highlighted the logic in this. You have still alighted on a tiny part of the problem to make your bogus points.

That's precisely what a reasonable person would try to avoid.

You have just proved why that sensible approach that you are attacking was chosen.

It was an attempt to concentrate on the real issues and not let people, who have not real point to make, hijack the process with bogus diversions.

-David C. 

The big difference, of course, is that lawyers are heavy campaign contributors to the Democratic party.<

>No, the big difference is litigation accounts for 1% - 2 % of the total health care costs and it's, maybe, better to concentrate on the 98% - 99% reasons for the cost.<

Baloney,  as a former practicing physician Howard Dean has first hand knowledge of the ruinous effects of malpractice lawsuits.  If your claim were true he could have cited it in his answer, but he did not.  Instead he told the truth, democrats are too afraid to antagonize the trial lawyers who bankroll their campaigns with big contributions to address a major reason for high medical costs.

>You, of course, have highlighted the logic in this. You have still alighted on a tiny part of the problem to make your bogus points.<

I have identified a major part of the problem that Democrats are desperately trying to sweep under the rug. But Howard Dean, bless his heart, isn't as duplicitous as Obama and (perhaps inadvertently) let the cat out of the bag.

>It was an attempt to concentrate on the real issues and not let people, who have not real point to make, hijack the process with bogus diversions.<

Blame Howard Dean, he is the one who exposed the dirty secret of Obmacare.

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”

– Winston Churchill

Baloney,  as a former practicing physician Howard Dean has first hand knowledge of the ruinous effects of malpractice lawsuits

These days, the biggest barrier to excessive litigation is to improve the audit trail so doctors can prove their innocence.

The best way to do that is to use comprehensive EMRs which, you may have noticed, is a major part of Obama's thinking on this subject.

In the absence of such defensive data almost three quarters of attempts at litigation are settled out of court precisely because doctors cannot point to a documented proof that they were not at fault, and lawyers earn from these out of court payments.

Not only that, but a doctor can get between 10 and 25% discount on his litigation insurance premiums if he uses EMRs that are being heavily promoted by the president.

Why would he be doing that if what you say is the truth?

So, let's see . . .   it's only 1 - 2 % of the cost of health care and the president is promoting the very thing that would  reduce it even further.

And you are trying to push the notion he isn't doing anything about an important aspect of the bill for some false invented reason?

Answer is you are wrong to assume that litigation is the driving force you are trying to make out.  One way or the other.

-David C.

I have inserted a graph showing a data set that starts at 10 and steps down to 0

It shows two lines.

One is the simple trend and the other is the cumulative trend.

I'm sure you'd agree that a set of data starting at 10 and reducing to 0 shows a reducing trend.

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0   Looks pretty reducing to me.

The graph you have shown is a cumulative one, and, if I was being a little paranoid, was arranged like that so that people who didn't notice the title of the Y axis would think that there is an increasing trend in litigation costs when there isn't.

Being driven by political forces instead of a search for the truth is obviously pandemic at the moment.

Maybe because, as you just proved, it's so effective.

-David C.

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