New Study Shows Incidence of Medical Malpractice Still Widespread

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A new study by Health Grades released in April 2006, reports that 250,246 Medicare patients were killed by potentially preventable medical errors in hospitals over a three year period. In a previous report, Health Grades estimated that within the entire patient population, not just Medicare patients, there were 575,000 preventable deaths caused by medical errors over a three year period. This report on negligent medical care is particularly troubling in light of the plan of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to bring to the Senate floor a draconian medical malpractice bill that would do nothing to reduce the incidents of medical negligence and patient injuries and death. Rather, this bill would drastically limit compensations for victims, particularly those most seriously injured and strip them of their rights to hold negligent doctors and corporations accountable. Senator Frist, whose family owns a chain of hospitals and an insurance company, has proposed a plan that would put all American's at greater risk of injury and death by reducing incentives to improve patient safety and making it harder to bring even the most meritorious of medical malpractice cases.