PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
As a new session of the Connecticut General Assembly convenes, the Connecticut State Medical Society (CSMS) lobbying team’s effort is primarily focused on one issue: Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) reform.
CSMS, the New Haven County Medical Association as well as other statewide medical associations have put together an aggressive strategy to lobby for legislation similar to California MICRA type reforms. Legislation has already been submitted to implement a cap of $250,000 on "non-economic" damages. CSMS has been working with the Connecticut Medical Insurance Company (CMIC) and the Connecticut Hospital Association to draft a comprehensive bill that will include periodic payments of settlements, revision of the state’s "offer of judgement" statute, and pretrial screening panels among other things. Furthermore, our organizations are serving as the base for a coalition that has begun lobbying in support of this legislation. The coalition includes business groups, insurers, patient groups, and women’s groups.
The public education/media relations campaign, outlined in a recent letter sent to all CSMS members, generated a great deal of attention to the issue and subsequent story placement by media outlets in Connecticut. Contacts have been made with several editorial boards with more scheduled and we are in the process of flooding state newspapers with physician op-eds. To date, two newspapers, The Norwich Bulletin and The Hartford Courant have written editorials supportive of our tort reform initiatives, specifically the request for a reasonable cap of $250,000 on "non-economic" damages. Radio and television talk shows have expressed interest in the issue as well and we expect to provide you with dates and times of programs addressing tort reform.
The following is a summary of what to expect in the coming weeks: