Does tort reform work? Look at Texas.

Joseph Nixon of the Texas Public Policy Foundation has an important piece in Saturday’s Wall Street Journal reviewing the stunning turnaround in the Lone Star State after the legislature passed medical liability reform in 2003 and 2005. The highlights:

Greater Access to Care… While doctors are fleeing other states due to the medical liability crisis, over “the past three years, some 7,000 doctors have flooded into Texas…”

Lower Premiums… “…one of the largest malpractice insurance companies in the state [has] slashed premiums by 35%, saving doctors some $217 million [in premiums] over four years.”

A Competitive Insurance Market… While many insurance companies have stopped writing policies in states with a poor liability climate, in Texas “over 30 companies [are] competing for business.”

Spending $ on Patients, Not Lawyers… Thanks to tort reform, Christus Health, a non-profit health provider, has “saved $100 million that it otherwise would have spent fending off bogus lawsuits or paying higher insurance premiums. Every dollar saved was reinvested in helping poor patients.”

Amazing what can happen when a state’s health care system is designed to benefit patients, not lawyers.