Simpson's Amendment To Include Medical Liability Reform

Press Release

Late last night in the U.S. House Budget Committee, Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson offered an amendment that would have saved $2 billion over five years and $4.6 billion over ten by simply amending the health care reserve fund to require the inclusion of medical liability reform. Unfortunately, the Democrats on the committee blocked all substantial Republican offered amendments from passing.

"We all know that malpractice insurance drives up the cost of health care," said Simpson. "Instead of offering lower prices for their services, doctors pay as much as $126 billion annually to protect themselves from lawsuits. Even more egregious, only 17% of lawsuits filed against practitioners end in decisions that find actual physician negligence. Put simply, defensive medicine makes everyone pay more for the same health care."

It is not just the costs that go up due to frivolous lawsuits, access to quality healthcare is impacted as well. When the cost of insurance becomes too high, many doctors relocate or retire prematurely, thereby reducing patients' access to care.

Effective medical liability reform would restrain the growth of vital programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, ensuring their long-term viability.

"Medicare and Medicaid represent a growing expenditure of over $600 billion a year for the federal government. Without reform, money will be spent on wasteful services aimed at protecting providers from lawsuits rather than on improving patient's health," said Simpson. "We need medical liability reform."

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