September 18, 2009
Help Stop Congress from Including Tort Reform in Health Care Reform
All consumers and concerned citizens need to consider the impact of "tort reform" proposals on their access to justice when tragic consequences follow medical errors. Despite President Obama's mention of tort reform "demonstration projects," we know that there are a number of even more serious tort reform proposals being debated as part of health care reform. Health care reform should be about access to quality, affordable health care. It should not be about undermining patient safety or limiting the rights of patients harmed by medical negligence. I hope each of you can take a moment to call your member of Congress (the list is below) today or in the next few days. Here are a few talking points:
Tort reform undermines the quality of our health care system and does not produce cost savings. Nearly every state has enacted some form of medical malpractice reform and these reforms have done nothing to make the health care system better or to lower costs.
The Institute of Medicine estimates 98,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors (the 6th leading cause of death).
Defensive medicine is a myth. Studies by the General Accounting Office and the Congressional Budget Office question the prevalence of defensive medicine and conclude that reform would generate minimal cost savings.
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