SEATTLE, Dec. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Citizens for Better Safer Healthcare, a coalition of consumer and patient rights groups, denounced Initiative 330 (I-330) -- an initiative backed by the insurance industry and the state medical association -- that would drastically limit the rights of patients across the state of Washington. The insurance lobby submitted I-330 to the Secretary of State this morning.
“I-330 makes false promises to a healthcare system in crisis,” said Dylan Malone, spokesperson for Citizens for Better Safer Healthcare. “I-330 takes away patients’ rights, grants sweeping immunity to bad doctors and shifts medical malpractice costs to the taxpayer.”
“The only way to reform the medical malpractice liability system is to demand greater accountability from the insurance industry, the healthcare system and the courts,” said Bill Monto, spokesperson for the No on I-330 campaign.
Monto also stated that I-330 shields bad doctors, drug companies, medical device manufacturers, HMOs and insurance companies, negligent nursing homes and hospitals from accountability to patients and their families.
In addition to capping damages, provisions in I-330 require that people sign away their rights before receiving any medical services.
“Caps on damages unfairly hurt those malpractice victims with the most serious injuries and do nothing to reduce insurance premiums or keep coverage accessible for doctors, but I-330 goes even beyond caps,” said Monto.
I-330 also imposes a restrictive statute of limitations that cuts off legitimate claims on injuries with long incubation periods.
“This means, for example, that if a patient is infected with HIV from tainted blood and does not present symptoms within five years -- which is often the case -- he or she would not be able to seek a remedy from those that caused the infection in the first place,” said Monto.
“I-330 is a dangerous initiative that exploits the negative rhetoric around lawsuits and medical costs, protects wrongdoers from responsibility and threatens the rights and safety of victims that trial attorneys seek to protect every single day of our lives,” said Rodney Ray, president of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association.
CONTACT Bill Monto, No on I-330 Campaign 206-409-7078 http://www.no330.org/
No on I-330 Campaign
CONTACT: Bill Monto of No on I-330 Campaign, +1-206-409-7078; or DylanMalone of Citizens for Better Safer Healthcare, +1-206-250-2746; or RodneyRay, President of the Washington State Trial Lawyers Association,+1-253-752-2251
Web site: http://www.bettersafercare.org/
Web site: http://www.no330.org/
