[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20725]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              SUCCESS OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL LIABILITY TRUST

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, just a little over 2 years ago Texas 
passed a constitutional amendment that allowed for caps on noneconomic 
damages in medical liability lawsuits. And what has been the experience 
in Texas over those 2 years?
  Well, we have seen insurance and doctors come back to the State. 
Texas had gone from 17 down to two medical insurance companies, and now 
they are back up to 12. Not-for-profit hospitals have seen significant 
increases in the money that they are now able to invest in plants and 
equipment, money that otherwise would have gone for their self-
insurance programs.
  And perhaps most importantly, the rates of liability insurance for 
Texas doctors has come down. Texas Medical Liability Trust has reduced 
rates three times since the passage of House bill 4 and proposition 12, 
12 percent in 2004, 5 percent in 2005, and now a recently announced 5 
percent decrease in 2006, and, coupled with that, a 5 percent dividend 
rebate. So that now there is a total of 27 percent insurance savings 
for Texas doctors in medical liability.
  Speaking to physicians of the Texas Medical Association just last 
weekend, Dr. Dennis Factor said, ``Access to health care and the 
malpractice environment in Texas has made a healthy recovery since the 
Texas legislature passed medical liability reform.''
  I urge this body to take it up and get it done.

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