Providing for Consideration of H.R. 5, Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 5, HELP EFFICIENT, ACCESSIBLE, LOW-COST, TIMELY HEALTHCARE (HEALTH) ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - July 27, 2005)
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Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost, Timely Healthcare Act of 2005, commonly referred to as the HEALTH Act.
If it seems like you have seen me speaking on this before, that is because I have. The House of Representatives has done their part and passed this much-needed legislation several times during my service in Congress. It is my sincere hope that the other body will answer the call of millions of Americans who have been impacted with the loss of their doctor and help rein in an out-of-control medical liability system.
I am very optimistic we can achieve this goal, primarily because my home State of West Virginia has passed very similar legislation. If West Virginia's Legislature and Governor can put politics aside and work for the common good, then this Congress should be able to do the same.
Five years ago the medical liability climate in West Virginia reached a fevered pitch. Countless physicians, especially specialists, were beginning to leave the State, their home State, because of the prohibitively high cost of insurance premiums. Our largest trauma center was forced to close because of lack of physicians. Many of these physicians were orthopedists, OB-GYNs, and neurologists, and for a rural State with already limited access to specialists, this was a critical blow to health care accessibility.
Individuals throughout the State were extremely concerned about the ability to find a doctor, keep a doctor, and about the doctor that they love and trust leaving the practice of medicine. Thankfully, the leaders in West Virginia enacted sensible reforms that have stabilized our healthcare delivery system.
As a matter of fact, the hospitals in West Virginia have said one of the biggest benefits to this legislation, very similar to the legislation we have today, is that it stabilized the situation so they can now recruit and retain physicians in the State of West Virginia.
The HEALTH Act is needed on a Federal level because other States have not had the success of my State. This act puts in common-sense reforms to the tort system. I urge all to support the rule and to realize that this approach, which is similar to California's approach and West Virginia's approach, can work successfully and can be passed in a bipartisan way.
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