Tort Reform Now!

Tort Reform should be at the top of the list of reforms! The Republicans have proposed legislation to address this, and it is being ignored by the Democrats.

Price Introduces Innovative Medical Liability Reform
Washington, D.C. – Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) issued the following statement after introducing the Health Care OverUse Reform Today Act (HealthCOURT Act), a comprehensive medical liability reform bill.

"In medicine, as in life, mistakes can be made. But unfortunately, our current system has forced many doctors to practice defensive medicine to shield themselves from the specter of outrageous malpractice damages, putting upward pressure on the cost of health care," said Rep. Price. "Accordingly, comprehensive medical liability reform has a key role to play in any attempt to decrease health care costs. The HealthCOURT Act addresses this by reforming the process for pursing medical malpractice cases and decreasing the impetus for care providers to practice defensive medicine."

"By creating a new legal structure that relies on the experience and expertise of medical professionals, physicians may focus on providing the proper care. Just as any successful health reform will be patient-centered, the HealthCOURT Act will ensure that physicians are focused on the needs of patients rather than the threat of predatory lawsuits."

NOTE: The HealthCOURT Act will: 1) Develop performance-based quality measures established by the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI) and physician specialty organizations; 2) Establish a best-practices affirmative defense set by qualified physician consensus-building organization (such as PCPI) and physician specialty organizations; 3) Create grants for State Health Courts for the resolution of disputes concerning injuries allegedly caused by health care providers; and 4) Give the Sense of Congress that insurers are liable if they make a decision that causes harm.