Shifting blame

Regarding “A pledge to protect patients” (Page A1, Wednesday), years ago, Texans for Lawsuit Reform, insurance lobbyists and doctor lobbyists targeted and demonized trial lawyers, accusing them of raising the price of health care through frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits. These groups persuaded Texans and lawmakers to pass sweeping tort reform legislation that made malpractice cases more difficult to file and capped the patient’s damages on those that were meritorious. The end result? More malpractice but fewer malpractice lawsuits. But now look around — insurance premiums still increased for doctors and patients. Now the insurance lobby has a new target to demonize — doctors themselves. The powerful insurance companies, their lobbyists and their media campaign have now been able to convince their customers that when the insurance company doesn’t pay a doctor’s bill, it’s the doctor’s fault! Amazing.

The insurance companies have convinced their customers that the doctor, many times an emergency room doctor who provided valuable, perhaps even lifesaving treatment, is being greedy and shouldn’t be paid fairly for their work. It is truly despicable. Last I heard, insurers were the ones with record-setting-revenues and billions of dollars in reserves. Now they have the arrogance to call lifesaving doctors greedy.

Robert Hand, Houston