Tim
Darragh reported that there are 43% fewer medical malpractice cases being
filed in Pennsylvania today than there were ten years ago. The article
attributes the decrease two new rules which require (a) medical malpractice
cases to be filed in the county where the malpractice took place and (b) the
filing of an affidavit of merit at the outset of a case.
Dennis
Slattery, for the Daily News, wrote about the New York Judiciary’s adoption
of a program formerly run by Judge Douglas McKeon in the Bronx which seeks to
reach early settlements in meritorious medical malpractice cases filed against
municipal hospitals. The program has
resulted in decreased litigation costs and safer care because hospitals have
implemented safety programs to learn from the mistakes.
Steven
Reinberg, for CBS News, wrote about the rise in the mosquito-borne
chikungunya virus. The virus has still not been contracted in the United
States, but it is predicted that it could arrive this summer. The virus causes high
fevers, joint pain and swelling, headaches and a rash. In rare instances it is
fatal.
Andrew
Pollack, for the New York Times, reported on how health insurance plans are
lowering drug costs by requiring pharmaceutical companies to choose between
discounting their drugs or not being covered.
