[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 124 (Thursday, September 26, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H6697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPPORT H.R. 4600, THE HEALTH ACT

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was 
forced to close its trauma unit after 57 of 58 surgeons quit, citing 
exposure to costly medical malpractice. In LeHigh, Pennsylvania, one-
third of the surgeons quit because of unrelenting problems with medical 
malpractice. In Wheeling, West Virginia, all of the neurosurgeons have 
left, so that trauma patients needing brain surgery must be flown to 
Pittsburgh. And in Philadelphia, the Methodist Hospital stopped 
delivering babies June 30 because of malpractice insurance costs.
  But this House will have an opportunity to do something about that 
with the passage of H.R. 4600. This will help get health care 
malpractice premiums in line that will bring some balance, protect the 
interests of the patients, and restore the doctor-patient relationship.
  The objective of H.R. 4600 is to put patients into the emergency room 
and not get lawyers into the courtroom. I urge my colleagues to support 
it.

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