Re: Health Industry to Spend "Whatever It Takes" ... I don't doubtit.

[METRA1001@aol.com]

Peter and colleagues-

Having been in the legal business from 1979 to 1992, and handled thousands of 
civil litigation cases, I am here to tell you that this whole 'Avalanche of 
Frivilous lawsuits' CLAIM, (IN OPPOSITION TO PATIENTS RIGHTS) and it is only 
A CLAIM, is (and will be) and has been blown way, WAY out of proportion. It's 
an excuse. Not a fact. 

Good judges, and most of them are good, will not let a frivilous lawsuit GET 
TO FIRST BASE, in court, EVER, and the AAHP, and ALL the special interest 
groups DO KNOW this as fact. They are using an old jedi mind trick of using 
public hysteria to fight THAT which does not exist. 

WHAT THE INSURERS AND SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS REALLY DO NOT WANT, ARE 
LEGITIMATE CASES WHERE PEOPLE NEED MEDICAL CARE, AND ARE BLATANTLY, AND 
REPEATEDLY DENIED ACCESS FOR THE HELL OF IT, GETTING TRIED IN FRONT OF A 
JURY. THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE SO AFRAID OF. That's why they are spending the 
big bucks. They KNOW they will lose. Often. 

The frivilous lawsuit red herring is Oceana newspeak, for 'we don't want 
legitimate cases going to a jury'; BECAUSE we KNOW we will get hurt. So spin 
the biggest horror story possible, and put the maximum emphasis on it, so 
people will be reluctant to change the system, and resist patient rights. 
THAT is what all the hubbub is about. NOT frivilous lawsuits. The lawsuit 
defense is just a smokescreen for what they really fear: JUSTICE for insureds 
in the courtroom. 

When justice is rendered to the insureds, THEN, no more 80 million dollar a 
yr CEO pay, no 20 million dollar signing bonuses for executives, no 30 
million dollar stock options for executives. No 100 million dollar salaries 
for chairmen who sit and think of ways to avoid covering illnesses. THAT IS 
WHAT SCARES THEM TO NO END. 
LOSS OF THEIR BIG MONEY...

Al

In a message dated 8/23/99 7:50:21 PM EST, techdiff@ix.netcom.com writes:

<<  America's trial lawyers - in support of legislation they're calling `The
 > Patients Bill of Rights.' But what it really does is give government
 > bureaucrats the freedom to create more regulations and more red tape - and
 > give trial lawyers more opportunities to cash in on all kinds of frivolous
 > lawsuits."  The ads then name the local House member they are targeting, 
and
 > ask listeners to call to voice their opposition.
 > 
 > Kahn said health plans and business groups opposing managed care bills will
 > spend more than $1 million "working toward a cacophony" of criticism of the
 > bills. There will be TV advertising and "heavy radio" during the last two
 > weeks of the congressional break >>