I’d already added the Patients First Coalition to the list of links at left, but looking at their “Fast Facts on Why Rhode Island Needs Medical Liability Reform,” I thought the following particularly noteworthy:

• 48% of physicians planning to leave Rhode Island within the next
  three years to practice elsewhere cite Rhode Island’s high malpractice insurance costs.
• 71% of doctors have found it hard to recruit new doctors to Rhode Island.
• Rhode Island ranks last in the length of time it takes for malpractice cases to be resolved — 6 years. The national average is less than 5 years and some states deliver justice in less than 3 years.
• Rhode Island has the 4th highest average malpractice award payment ($406,411) in the country.
• Rhode Island surgeons have experienced premium increases of 175% since 2002; general practitioners have experienced increases of 200% since 2002; and hospitals have experienced premium increases of 286% since 2002.

It’s amazing how pervasive a state’s problems can become after years of corruption and apathy.