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U.S. HOUSE PASSES MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM BILL! 

SENATE ACTION NEEDED

On March 13, 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 5, the AMA-backed medical liability reform bill (the "HEALTH Act"), by a vote of 229-196-1.   

This is a great victory for patients and physicians and the AMA would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your members for all your hard work in the weeks and days leading up to this vote. 

As passed by the House, the HEALTH Act safeguards patients' access to care through the following common-sense reforms:  

• Allowing patients to recover for economic damages, such as future medical expenses and loss of future earnings, while establishing a cap on non-economic damages (e.g., pain and suffering) of $250,000.

• Allocating damages fairly, in proportion to a party's degree of fault.  

• Limiting the number of years a plaintiff has to file a healthcare liability action to ensure that claims are brought while evidence and witnesses are available.  

With House passage of H.R. 5, the reform battle now turns to the U.S. Senate.   

Senate Republican Leadership is working on bipartisan draft legislation modeled after California's MICRA law. MICRA has worked for more than 25 years. The law has proven fair to patients and effective at stabilizing the medical liability system in California. Since 1976, premiums across the nation have increased three times faster than in California.  The Senate should pass legislation similar to MICRA that safeguards patients' access to care. 

Please use the AMA Grassroots Hotline (1-800-833-6354) and the AMA in Washington Grassroots Action Center to contact your Senators and urge them to support medical liability reform legislation modeled after California's MICRA law. 

AMA Grassroots Hotline (800) 833-6354