PLI Reform

Hey, I meant to post this earlier today, I guess better late than never!
This for everyone, but especially for those of us who feel the need to pester our elected officials monthly/weekly/daily!

The U.S. House of Representatives will Vote ON PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE REFORM LEGISLATION this week.

CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY AND URGE THEM TO VOTE "YES" ON THE "HELP EFFICIENT, ACCESSIBLE, LOW-COST, TIMELY HEALTHCARE ACT (HEALTH ACT) OF 2003" (H.R5).

Your representative needs to hear from you TODAY. This bill is scheduled for a floor vote Thursday, March 13.

Please call your representative TODAY at 800-335-4860.
When the call is answered you will be asked to enter your zip code.
You will then be connected to your Representative's office. Once
connected, ask to speak to his/her health care legislative assistant and urge them to "VOTE YES ON H.R. 5-THE HEALTH ACT OF 2003." Thank them for their support on this important issue.

Some information on the bill H.R5
Þ H.R. 5 protects injured patients ability to recover fully all
economic losses.
Þ H.R. 5 places a reasonable limit ($250,000) on noneconomic damages.
Þ H.R. 5 ensures that states with damage caps in place would be
permitted to retain them.
Þ H.R. 5 establishes a "fair share" rule-ensuring that defendants only
pay damages in proportion to their fault.
Þ H.R. 5 establishes reasonable statute of limitations with special
provisions for minors.
Þ H.R. 5 establishes a common sense sliding scale for attorney
contingency fees-ensuring that harmed patients receive the majority of the awards.
Þ H.R. 5 allows awards to be paid in increments-providing money to
patients for expenses at the time they need it rather than in one lump-sum payments
Þ H.R. 5 creates mechanisms to ensure that only justifiable punitive
damages are paid, with a guideline to limit punitive damages to two times
economic damages or $250,000, whichever is greater.

Since we are all touched by this in some way or another it is important to all to get this passed. Your spouses future in any state, in any medical specialty may depend on it.

[PrincessFiona]

thanks

Matt,

I just ran across this..Thanks for passing it on!!!!! It appears that it was voted on...Do you know what came of it???

Kris

March 13, 2003
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 229, noes 196, answered ``present'' 1, not voting 8,
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.


This will be sent to the Senate and it will be much harder to push across. I have been reading some of the government pages and the records kept of all the debating. It really makes you wonder who is getting information from whom? Some of the arguments are just ludicrous. How many of these old toads in Congress want to drive/get taken by ambulance to another state or several states when the surgeons that they need for heart problems can't afford to work at the local hospital? If they would use some common sense it could do wonders. Reading the government pages was funnier than reading the Sunday comics, although there is nothing funny about what they are voting on.

[DCJenn]

Matt-

I just spent 5 days in training reviewing the federal regulations for people who live in ICF/MR Medicaid funded facilities- Intermediate Care Facilities for persons with Mental Retardation a.k.a. Group Homes.

I think the problem is that the regulators know what they are trying to say but when it comes to interpreting guidelines, everyone gets all messed up trying to get the regs to meet what everyone thinks they should meet. It was truly amazing to hear how different states were interpreting the exact same regulation. (not to mention extremely scary!)

I can't imagine what the dialogue must have been like for actual legislation. (and besides, our tax dollars pay for the medical care of our Congress- they are eligible for treatment at military hospitals. In fact, Strom Thurmond actually lived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for the last year or so before he finally retired.)

Jenn