Posts tagged rants and raves

• Michael Moore's Movie "Sicko" and Its Portrayal of US Healthcare

  Staff Writer | July 04, 2007 9:00 AM | 1 CommentPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Michael Moore released a new movie about the system of healthcare in the United States. In the movie, he portrays our healthcare system as one in crisis. Do you believe our healthcare system in this country provides the best quality of care to patients at a reasonable cost? Have you seen the movie Sicko? Do you think the movie accurately portrays problems with our healthcare system in...

• Maricopa County Loses a Fine Judge

  Staff Writer | April 09, 2007 10:53 AM | 1 CommentPhoenix, AZ Category: Motorcycle Accidents
  

  Today we mourn the loss of a Judge with the Juvenile Division of the Maricopa County Superior Court. Judge John Gaylord was appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 2000 and for the past three years was assigned to the Juvenile Court facility in Mesa. I never had an opportunity to appear in front of Judge Gaylord in the Juvenile Court. However, I know that Judge Gaylord had an...

• Insurance Company Profits to Top Sixty Billion

  Staff Writer | October 20, 2006 10:47 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  The other day, I discussed the topic of increasing health insurance premiums across the country. I mentioned that perhaps we all should consider investing in health insurance companies because premiums and profits have been rising at a faster rate than claims payouts. Well it turns out that health insurance companies are not the only successful insurance producer. According to the New York...

• State Farm Insurance CEO Pay Rises Eighty-Two Percent

  Staff Writer | March 20, 2007 10:00 AM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Congratulations to State Farm Insurance Company! Its profits rose almost sixty-four percent (64%) to $5.32 billion dollars last year from $3.24 billion dollars in 2005. In my opinion, during this time, I do not think that State Farm acted like very much of a good neighbor to victims of Hurricane Katrina or to other policy-holders who timely paid premiums thinking they would be protected in...

• How Would Tort Reform Affect the Quality of Emergency Healthcare?

  Staff Writer | June 14, 2007 7:00 AM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Medical Malpractice
  

  In 1975, the California State Legislature passed the California Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) which placed a cap on damages for medical malpractice claims. According to this Act, an injured plaintiff cannot recover non-economic losses in excess of $250,000. This tort reform statute has been in effect in California for thirty-two years. Because this California law has been in...

• Blue Cross of California Agrees to Settle Rescission Class Action Lawsuit

  Staff Writer | June 11, 2007 11:00 AM | 1 CommentPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Blue Cross of California recently entered a settlement agreement to resolve a class action lawsuit against the health insurer concerning the nature of its individual health insurance business practices. Blue Cross had been accused of using innocent mistakes on poorly worded insurance applications to rescind policies after insureds submitted costly claims. After concluding that it would lose...

• World Health Organization Reports that Medical Errors Affect One in Ten Patients

  Staff Writer | May 02, 2007 7:30 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Medical Malpractice
  

  According to the World Health Organization, healthcare errors affect one out of every ten patients worldwide. Based on this alarming trend, the World Health Organization prepared patient safety checklists to help professional healthcare providers avoid simple medical mistakes. By following the "Nine Patient Safety Solutions," the organization hopes to see substantial medical error rate...

• Are On-Line Pharmacies Trafficking Narcotic Drugs?

  Staff Writer | August 29, 2007 6:22 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  Perhaps you have seen stories or received spam e-mail messages from on-line pharmacies offering instant access to prescription drugs at low cost. You want a percocet or vicodin but your family doctor did not prescribe it for you? No worries. Just log onto your spam-friendly Internet pharmacy, fill out a brief questionnaire, pay for your medication with a credit card and in no time, you will...

• The Tort Reform Debate

  Staff Writer | June 20, 2007 12:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Miscellaneous
  

  I received a few responses to my recent posting about the California Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) which present different perspectives on an emotionally charged tort reform debate. Thank you to those who commented. Although we do not necessarily share the same opinions, I appreciate your willingness to post your thoughts and believe that we can respectfully disagree on some...

• Should Arizona Reconsider Statutory Immunity for Negligent Freeway Maintenance?

  Staff Writer | August 03, 2007 10:13 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ Category: Workplace Injuries
  

  A couple of days have passed since the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis which led to the deaths of at least five people. The cause of the bridge collapse on I-35W will not be known for quite some time. However, if the I-35W bridge collapsed due to ordinary wear and tear, such a tragedy may have been avoided had the Minnesota Department of Transportation placed a higher priority on bridge...