American Osteopathic Association (AOA) Joins Senators in Calling for Comprehensive Medical Liability Reforms

4/10/2003

From: Leann Fox of the American Osteopathic Association, 202-414-0140

WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Today over 400 osteopathic physicians from 41 states participated in the American Osteopathic Association's semi-annual "D.O. Day on Capitol Hill," urging the Senate to take immediate action on comprehensive liability reforms.

To highlight the crisis physicians and their patients are facing, AOA President-elect Darryl Beehler, D.O. joined Senators Rick Santorum (R-Penn.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) at a press conference on Capitol Hill. The speakers outlined necessary provisions for correcting the nation's failing liability system.

"The effects of this crisis are widespread, patients are unable to access physicians in their time of need. This crisis is not getting better. In fact, it is rapidly getting worse," said Darryl Beehler, D.O. "But this crisis goes deeper than physicians and hospitals. It impacts the future of the physician workforce and hinders the recruitment and retention of physicians. It is a sad day when medical students base career choices not on their love of science and an appreciation of a particular medical discipline, but rather on the liability and economic risk a certain specialty possesses."

The AOA supports medical liability reform legislation that includes the following six principles: (1) Joint and Several Liability Reforms; (2) Uniform Statue of Limitations; (3) Limits on Attorney Contingency Fees; (4) Collateral Source Reforms; (5) Periodic Repayment of Future Damages; and (6) Limitations on Non-Economic Damages.

The AOA believes that these six principles, when enacted together, will stabilize the nation's medical liability system-restoring patient access to care. Each of these provisions is included in the AOA-supported HEALTH Act (H.R. 5) introduced by Rep. Greenwood and approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 13.

"The United States Senate must take action. The House of Representatives approved a bill in March and the Administration has signaled its support for the issue. In our opinion, failure to act by the Senate is not an option," said Beehler. "We thank those Senators who continue to be our supporters. We urge other Senators to become involved and support medical liability reforms. Ensuring patient access to care is a goal we all share."

For more information on the AOA's efforts, visit the PLI Action Center at http://www.aoa-net.org/Government/relations/PLI/pli.htm.

AOA represents 49,000 osteopathic physicians (D.O.s), promotes public health, encourages scientific research, serves as the primary certifying body for D.O.s and is the accrediting agency for all osteopathic medical schools and health care facilities.