[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17465]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM IS IN PERIL

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a great concern about a 
development that occurred here on the Hill. Yesterday the failure to 
close debate on medical liability reform, the important legislation 
that this body passed in March to address this crisis, is in peril.
  The House passed H.R. 5 to control the unsustainable medical 
liability premium increases and preserve patient access to important 
medical specialists. Based on a 1975 California law that has held down 
premium increases in that State, H.R. 5 would place a cap on 
noneconomic damages in medical liability cases.
  This bill would not limit access to the courthouse. This bill would 
not limit damages to those who have been injured by negligent actions. 
This bill would not reward bad doctors. This bill would not protect 
HMOs.
  This bill will increase access to important specialists such as 
neurosurgeons, perionatologists and trauma surgeons. This bill will 
return a degree of sanity to a system that now resembles a Las Vegas 
gaming device.
  Today the trauma network in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is on the 
brink of crisis as good doctors are driven from the practice by 
increasing liability premiums. Mr. Speaker, how could they do that?

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