[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17155]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        MEDICAL LIABILITY CRISIS

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today again to remind my colleagues 
of the importance of passing a Medical Liability Reform bill on the 
floor of the House this week.
  I would like to submit for the record and read a brief section of a 
news story from my district. These type of stories have become common 
in the media in my area over the past few years.
  I quote, ``One doctor who has been treating patients in Bethalto for 
more than 20 years is moving his practice to another state.''
  ``The rate increases are forcing some doctors in Madison County to 
take their practices elsewhere. That is the case for Dr. Charles 
Sammis, who took over his father's practice 20 years ago.
  ``It would be so nice if I could stay here, but the way it is it is 
impossible.'' Dr. Sammis has been treating patients at his family 
practice in Godfrey for 20 years. Friday was his last day.
  Dr. Sammis says the rising medical malpractice insurance rates in 
Madison County have forced him out. He is not alone. The whole Madison 
County area, I think there is maybe two or three left and everybody 
else has pretty much either retired or left.
  Meantime, Dr. Sammis' departure has been especially hard on his 
patients. ``You have all been nice to me and I appreciate it,'' he is 
quoted as saying. Dr. Sammis and his family are moving to Wisconsin 
where he plans to open another practice.
  I would urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 5 this week. To 
stay competitive in the global marketplace and keep jobs in America, we 
need to ensure that our health care delivery system is fully intact.

 Bethalto Doctor Closes Office Due To Rising Medical Malpractice Rates

                           (By Erin O'Neill)

       The debate continues over rising medical malpractice 
     insurance costs and who's to blame. Some doctors in Madison 
     County, Illinois say the jump in insurance premiums has 
     forced them to close their offices.
       One doctor, who has been treating patients in Bethalto for 
     more than 20 years, is moving his practice to another state.
       While medical malpractice is a problem all across the U.S., 
     a recent report from the American Tort Reform Association 
     suggested its especially common in the Metro East. Some say 
     frivolous lawsuits are to blame, others say it is price 
     gouging by the insurance companies.
       The rate increases are forcing some doctors in Madison 
     County to take their practices elsewhere. That's the case for 
     Dr. Charles Sammis, who took over his father's practice 20 
     years ago.
       ``It would be so nice if I could stay here, but the way it 
     is, it's impossible.'' Dr. Sammis has been treating patients 
     at his family practice in Godfrey for 20 years. Friday was 
     his last day.
       Dr. Sammis says the rising medical malpractice insurance 
     rates in Madison County have forced him out. He's not alone, 
     ``The whole Madison County area I think there's maybe two to 
     three left and everybody else has pretty much either retired 
     or left.''
       Dr. Sammis says frivolous lawsuits are to blame. Not so, 
     says former Missouri Insurance Commissioner Jay Angoff, ``The 
     insurance companies are telling the doctors look over here 
     its their fault when it's the insurance companies 
     themselves.''
       Angoff says malpractice rates have more than doubled in the 
     last five years, while the amount of money paid in claims 
     actually dropped, so he says lawsuits aren't the problem. 
     ``So, there is no justification for premiums going up the way 
     they are. And, if I were a doctor in Illinois I would call 
     ISME up, that's a major malpractice insurer in Illinois, and 
     say `Why are my premiums going up when claim payments are 
     going down?'''
       But Dr. Sammis still believes needless litigation is behind 
     the escalating costs and hopes tort reform is a solution. In 
     May, Illinois lawmakers approved a plan to cap lawsuit awards 
     in medical malpractice cases, but the bill remains on the 
     Governors desk. ``And we were hoping that our Governor would 
     sign the bill and he's still waiting on it. And I know 
     there's a lot of issues with that, but its getting very 
     difficult to practice medicine here right now.''
       Meantime, Dr. Sammis' departure has been especially hard on 
     his patients, ``You've all been nice to me and I appreciate 
     it. ''
       Bob Vieregge has been going to Dr. Sammis for 20 years, ``I 
     told him the other day I said I lost my wife and I lost my 
     priest and good friend and now I'm losing my doctor.'' 
     Patient Mary Stanton says. ``We just wish him all the best of 
     everything where he's going.''
       Angoff says insurance companies in both Illinois and 
     Missouri are notorious for very weak insurance regulation. He 
     says insurance companies can raise rates at will and the 
     insurance commissioner can't do anything about it. He says 
     the solution is for local doctors to rally behind legislation 
     that requires insurance companies to get the approval of the 
     commissioner before raising rates.
       Meantime, Dr. Sammis and his family are moving to Wisconsin 
     where he plans to open another practice.

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