WASHINGTON, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- House Majority Whip Roy Blunt today called on the U.S. Senate to pass meaningful medical liability reform and provide millions of Americans with affordable access to health care. HR 5, the HEALTH Act, a bill designed to protect patients and families from healthcare's skyrocketing costs, passed the House on March 13, 2003 by a vote of 229 - 196. The Senate has yet to act.
"Lawsuits resulting in sky-high awards have made lawyers rich, driven health care providers out of business and closed trauma centers nationwide," said Blunt. "Medical justice is a question of quality and access for patients. The House acted, now it is up to the Senate to fix this broken system."
Added Blunt: "This is a nationwide crisis, affecting large metropolitan areas, small towns, and rural communities. And, in all cases, it affects families, who cannot get the care they need for a mother giving birth to a child, a father in a devastating car accident, or a child with a serious illness. Quality and access to medical care are our goals here."
Beginning in May, House Republicans will push an eight-week "Competitiveness Agenda" including renewed efforts to ensure health care access for all Americans.
Key components of this agenda include medical liability reform, the creation of health savings accounts (HSAs) and association health plans (AHPs) -- all designed to provide small business owners, employees and families with affordable, available health care, and to keep American workers and businesses competitive in today's global economy
Office of the Majority Whip, Roy BluntCONTACT: Burson Taylor or Jessica Boulanger, both of the Office of theMajority Whip, Roy Blunt, +1-202-226-7022
Web site: http://www.majoritywhip.gov/
