Doctors Needed, Poll Says
Charleston Daily Mail
January 13, 2003

Ninety percent of West Virginia physicians believe there is a shortage of doctors in the state, and 99 percent of those say medical liability is a factor, according to a study released today by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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The American Medical Association has identified West Virginia as one of a dozen states experiencing a medical malpractice "crisis." A group of Northern Panhandle surgeons has walked off the job to protest high premiums.

In last week's State of the State address, Gov. Bob Wise proposed legislation capping "pain and suffering" awards, strengthening requirements for expert testimony and limiting liability for trauma care.

But plaintiffs' attorneys and some consumer groups say the governor is attacking the problem from the wrong end. Medical errors and insurance company investments gone bad are to blame for the rise in malpractice premiums, they say.

Medical malpractice claims payouts, in constant dollars, have been essentially flat in West Virginia over the last 10 years, according to a study released last week by Americans for Insurance Reform.

It's time to talk about facts, not "just perceptions, comments, feelings," said William Frame, a Morgantown attorney who heads the West Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. Although its population has declined, the state has not lost doctors. And West Virginia is in the middle of the pack when it comes to awards and cases being filed, he said.

For a copy of the complete article, contact AIR.