WASHINGTON, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Medical Association enthusiastically supports passage of H.R. 4280, the Health Act, which is expected to come up for a vote in the House of Representatives today.
“The Health Act gives the patients of America the common-sense medical liability reforms they seek,” said AMA President Donald J. Palmisano, MD, JD. “Patients are losing access to critically important medical services because of skyrocketing liability premiums. They are demanding action.”
Poll after poll shows that nearly three-quarters of Americans support reforms. A 2003 Gallup poll found that 72 percent support a law that caps the subjective portion of liability awards; and a new 2004 poll by the Health Coalition on Liability and Access (HCLA) confirmed the same 72 percent support.
“We urge lawmakers to hear the voice of the people and pass reforms to help increase access to medical care,” said Dr. Palmisano. “Reforms, including a quarter-million-dollar cap on non-economic damages, have been working in California for nearly 30 years. The rest of our nation deserves that same relief.”
“Medical liability reform is the AMA’s number one priority, and we will be relentless in our quest for federal legislation to provide relief to the nation’s physicians -- so physicians can continue to provide care to our nation’s patients,” Dr. Palmisano said.
American Medical Association
CONTACT: Brenda L. Craine, Director, Media Relations, of the AmericanMedical Association, +1-202-789-7447, brenda_craine@ama-assn.org
Web site: http://www.ama-assn.org/
