Congressional Budget Office Finds No Basis Malpractice Claims Are Driving High Health Care Costs
October 27, 2009 by Bob Christensen
The recent findings by the CBO that medical malpractice claims have little effect on overall health care spending did not surprise me. The CBO’s numbers are consistent with the findings of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Malpractice claims account for a miniscule 0.3% of total health care costs. In its report, the CBO also notes that recent research has found that tort reform may adversely affect patient care.
As recently stated by U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, the best way to reduce medical malpractice claims is to reduce medical errors.
