Durbin Demagogues Again

Republican.Senate.Gov:

FACT CHECK: Dem Senator Falsely Cites CBO As Source For Report Indicating Medical Malpractice Reform Would Kill Americans

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “That Means That If The Hatch Proposal Were Applied Nationwide, According To The C.B.O. And This Cited Study, 4,853 More Americans Would Be Killed Each Year By Medical Malpractice. This Is C.B.O. Report. Or More Than 48,000 Americans Over A Ten-Year Period Of Time That The C.B.O. Examines. So If You Accept Their Projection On The Savings For Medical Malpractice Reform Asked For By Senator Hatch, You Cannot Escape The Fact That They Say, Yes, You'll Save Money But More Americans Will Die.” (Sen. Dick Durbin, Floor Remarks, 12/2/09)

CBO: Three Studies “Concluded That Tort Reform Generated No Significant Adverse Outcomes For Patients’ Health.”

CBO: “There Is Less Evidence About The Effects Of Tort Reform On People’s Health, However, Than About Its Effects On Health Care Spending – Because Many Studies Of Malpractice Costs Do Not Examine Health Outcomes. … Kessler And Mcclellan (1996 And 2002) And Sloan And Shadle (2009) Concluded That Tort Reform Generated No Significant Adverse Outcomes For Patients’ Health.” “There is less evidence about the effects of tort reform on people’s health, however, than about its effects on health care spending – because many studies of malpractice costs do not examine health outcomes. Some recent research has found that tort reform may adversely affect such outcomes, but other studies have concluded otherwise. Lakdawalla and Seabury (2009) found that a 10 percent reduction in costs related to medical malpractice liability would increase the nation’s overall mortality rate by 0.2 percent. However, Kessler and McClellan (1996 and 2002) and Sloan and Shadle (2009) concluded that tort reform generated no significant adverse outcomes for patients’ health.” (Douglas Elmendorf, CBO Director, Letter To Sen. Hatch, P.5 10/9/09)