The power of the Insurance Department to take steps to hold down medical malpractice insurance rates is a matter of difference between the major candidates for Governor. Republican Matt Blunt favors no additional power. Democrat Claire McCaskill says the Insurance Department needs to be able to make sure rates are realistic. Blunt blames trial attorneys for frivolous lawsuits that drive up insurance costs. McCaskill says trial attorneys want cases resolved quickly – it’s the defense attorneys who drag things out, hoping to force the plaintiff to settle for pennies on the dollar.
