Reply #19: You're right - this should be a major issue for Democrats

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

Expect Bush to start another photo-op campaign in favor of so-called tort reform, claiming that medical malpractice insurance rates are the cause of the rise in prices. It will be more trickle-down nonsense, trying to convince us that insurance companies will voluntarily reduce their profits if their own outlay in covering claims decreases. We need to get ahead of this noise with the true facts.

I'm self-employed and have no insurance. A few months ago I went to an Emergency Room with extreme stomach pain. Four hours with virtually no treatment except for an MRI (negative findings) resulted in a $10,000 bill. It turned out to be a kidney stone that passed without further ill-effects. My cousin, who is also self-employed and uninsured shot himself with a handgun when his wife accidentally bumped into him. He spent three hours in an emergency room and was billed nearly $20,000 for basically stitching up a relatively minor flesh wound in his abdomen. Those hospital costs were not related to insurance, as neither my cousin nor I was insured. They were direct charges for medical treatment.