Frank Sloan and Lindsey Chepke are to be commended for calling attention to fundamental problems in Americas medical liability system ("From Medical Malpractice to Quality Assurance," Issues, Spring 2008). The existing system compensates few patients who have been injured, its deterrent effect is limited, its administrative costs are very high, and it does little to improve patient safety. And, as they point out, the types of medical liability reforms that traditionally have generated political traction, including caps on noneconomic damages, do little to address these shortcomings.rnOf course, these problems are not new, and a variety of both incremental and far-reaching reform proposals to address them have been advanced through the years by political leaders, academics, policy advocates, and interest groups. Among these, the nonprofit organization Common Good (of which this author is general counsel) has been active in promoting the concept of developing administrative health courts, with specialized judges, independent expert witnesses, and predictable damage awards. In many ways, the health
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