Why Is the Federal Government Reducing Medicare Payments for 31 Florida Hospitals?
The federal government plans to cut Medicare payments to 721 hospitals across the United States, including 31 in Florida, for high patient infection and injury rates. These cuts come as a part of the new healthcare laws, which reduce Medicare payments by 1 percent in the quarter of hospitals with the highest rates of “hospital-acquired… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Can a Doctor Become a Drug Dealer?
Kirkwood Family Practice of Dayton, Ohio is under fire for the overdose deaths of seven patients. According to the Ohio Attorney General, Dr. David C. Kirkwood is responsible for running a “pill mill,” dispensing prescription drugs to recipients in his home state as well as Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia…. Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Why Are Malpractice Caps a Bad Thing?
Medical malpractice caps are ceilings placed on medical malpractice payouts regardless of the extent of the victim’s injuries, the merit of the case, or the severity of the hospital’s misconduct. This means that no matter what a hospital does to you or your loved ones, certain states will only allow you to collect a certain… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Is Your Doctor Lying about Your Surgery?
The case of Aria Sabit, a Detroit-based back surgeon who was arrested in November by federal authorities, has developed further, with the FBI asking for more of his victims to step forward. Sabit is facing over two dozen medical malpractice allegations, and he recently surrendered his medical license as a result. Sabit is accused of… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
Are Nursing Home Residents Overmedicated?
A federal law known colloquially as a “chemical restraint” prohibits nurses in nursing homes from medicating their residents for the sake of convenience. Medicine must be prescribed based on medical need only. However, studies showed that 300,000 nursing home residents are currently prescribed antipsychotic drugs, and not all of the nursing home residents need these… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
When Is It Too Late to File a Malpractice Lawsuit?
The plaintiff in a malpractice lawsuit against Medtronic Inc. has lost following a Florida federal judge’s ruling that the claim against Medtronic was not filed within the two year statute of limitations for the surgery in question, nor was it filed within the four-year repose period. The surgery performed on the plaintiff involved the implantation… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice, Surgical Errors
How Often Do Doctors Take Responsibility for Their Mistakes of Their Own Volition?
A study done by professor of surgery Dr. Marty Makary was published last week and found that most health institutions are less than forthcoming when it comes to mistakes made on the operating table. Based on responses from 236 patients who completed the survey, the major findings were as follows: 9 percent of patients reported… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice, Surgical Errors
What Can Happen When Doctors Fail to Note a Preexisting Condition?
A retired U.S. Navy vet has been left vegetative after what was intended to be a routine colonoscopy/endoscopy went terribly wrong. The veteran suffered from obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which the flow of air through the human airways becomes obstructed due to a relaxation of the throat muscles during sleep. When sufferers of… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
FBI Investigates Alleged Fraud against Surgeon
A federal investigation of Dr. Aria Sabit of Detroit has turned up intense suspicion that Sabit has defrauded the Medicare system for millions of dollars. A complaint opened in federal court referenced five former patients, four of whom received spinal fusion surgeries that were unnecessary. Insurance companies were billed and Sabit’s practice received payments from… Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice, Surgical Errors
Am I Receiving Just Compensation for Malpractice?
Victims of medical malpractice are receiving less and less compensation for their troubles. Since 1992, every state has experienced a massive dropoff in the amount of claims that physicians have paid. Nationally, doctors have paid malpractice victims 57 percent less than they used to. The average number of claims against physicians has fallen, as well…. Read more »
Posted in Medical Malpractice
