Health Coalition Sets Legislative Agenda for 2012

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- With comprehensive medical liability reform legislation still pending in Congress, the Health Coalition on Liability and Access met in Washington this week to discuss recent developments at the state level and hear from liability reform experts and Members of Congress on the path forward in 2012.

Speakers at this year's Annual Meeting included Representatives Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Jim Matheson (D-UT), Dr. Timothy McDonald of the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, attorney Mark Behrens of Shook Hardy & Bacon LLP, and Mike Glasstetter of the American Medical Association.

Representative Stearns, the sponsor of the Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act, spoke about the need to protect medical volunteers from frivolous lawsuits during large-scale disasters – a key legislative priority for the HCLA this year.

"How many medical professionals would volunteer to help [in a disaster] if we get this bill passed?" Representative Stearns asked. "It would save lives, and it's the right thing to do."

Additional topics on the agenda at this year's meeting included efforts to ensure patient safety, defending state reform against constitutional challenges, and an update on legislative achievements at the state level.

"Several states took action this year to protect patients and increase access to medical care, but more work remains in the fight to pass comprehensive medical liability reform at the federal level," Chairman Mike Stinson said in closing the meeting.

"I look forward to our continued work with the members of the coalition, and our leaders in Congress, to fix this system by reducing costs, limiting the practice of defensive medicine and keeping personal injury lawyers from getting between patients and their health care providers."

For more details, visit www.hcla.org. The Health Coalition on Liability and Access is a national advocacy coalition representing physicians, hospitals, health care liability insurers, employers, health care providers and consumers. HCLA believes federal legislation is needed to bring fairness, timeliness and cost-effectiveness to America's medical liability system.

SOURCE Health Coalition on Liability and Access