[d14truth]

"The lawyer told her that her pride and vanity isn't helping her case any."

Might tell the lawyer that 'class' shows--dress the murderers in suits, and the saints in sackcloth. What a 'rotten' bunch of lowlifes many lawyers are.

How is character to be judged, and need? By appearance? That 'smacks of profiling' to me.

May you and your wife take comfort in the 'blessed assurance', not those of the lawyer.

[moonman]

Thanks all for you encouragement, advice, options and prayers.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

My guess is that the cost is largely driven by his pre-existing condition and his wife's current condition. Think of an analogy with life insurance, where medical malpractice insurance isn't driving up rates. If you smoke and have had a prior heart attack, it's going to be hard to get life insurance, and if you do, you'll pay a small fortune for it. That's the free market pricing risk. An overwhelming percentage of the money spent on health care for any given individual is spent on care during one's last six months of life. No medical insurer wants to be the one holding your policy during those six months. They'd go bankrupt. The more likely you are to need care, the more expensive your insurance is going to be. That's the free market, the private sector, working as it should. If you're in favor of regulating the free market to distribute costs more evenly, that's another matter. But let's be clear about what's being argued for.

[ConsistentLibertarian]

Addendum: If his $900/month insurance includes a prescription drug benefit, then the percentage of his bill going to medical liability insurance is going to be even less.