Medical Liability Reform

Medical Liability Reform
STRAIGHT TALK WITH SAM

August 1, 2005

Can you imagine if you went to see your doctor and the door was locked? That is just the case though in many place across this country. Runaway juries and frivolous lawsuits are forcing doctors across the country to cut back their services or abandon their patients.

Health care costs are high and climbing higher. Americans spend more per person on the costs of litigation than any other country in the world. It is no wonder then that the cost of health care is rising at the fastest rate in nearly a decade.

Last week, the House passed the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Health Care (HEALTH) Act of 2005. This bill will help bring much needed reforms to medical liability.

For example, it limits the amount that a patient can recover for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering to $250,000. It does not limit the amount a patient can receive for economic damages such as medical expenses or loss of future earnings. This sort of common sense reform protects patients by giving them full compensation for their injuries.

Too many doctors are being forced from the profession by skyrocketing insurance premiums. The cost of inflated jury awards is expensive and results in higher premiums. Those costs are passed on to you and me.

The HEALTH act uses common sense reforms to bring health care costs under control. I want doctors to worry only about practicing medicine. More importantly, I want them to be there when our families need them.

http://www.house.gov/graves/straighttalk/2005issue31.htm