FACT SHEETS

The Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act: Protecting our Disaster Volunteers

As large-scale natural disasters and health pandemics test Americans’ resolve and strain our health care systems, medical providers and facilities have found themselves treating patients while facing workforce shortages, inadequate or rationed safety supplies, and a combination of insufficient information and changing guidance from federal, state, and local government officials.

From California wildfires, flooding and blizzards to coastal hurricanes to an evolving pandemic, medical professionals can be found ready, willing and able to provide care to victims.

Medical Liability Reform and the Need for Access

With widespread agreement that our nation’s medical liability system does not serve the needs of our patients, the 115th Congress must act to make necessary reforms at the federal level that will help reduce health care costs, preserve patients’ access to quality medical care, and put an end to medical lawsuit abuse.

The ACCESS Act, H.R. 1704, will help ensure that physicians and health care providers are able to provide vital — and affordable — medical services to all patients without the threat of meritless lawsuits.

Medical Liability Reform: Separating Myth from Fact

Our nation’s medical liability system is broken – it costs too much, takes too long to resolve claims, and does not serve the needs of patients or physicians. But personal injury lawyers, who typically collect 33 to 40% of any awards, desperately want to preserve the status quo by spreading misinformation and masking the sad truth about the state of the system. The Health Coalition on Liability and Access has debunked the myths that personal injury attorneys consistently cite as reasons for opposing medical liability reform.

Protecting Access to Care Act

With widespread agreement that our nation’s medical liability system is broken and does not serve the needs of our patients, the 115th Congress has the opportunity to make necessary reforms at the federal level that will reduce health care costs, preserve patients’ access to medical care, and put an end to medical lawsuit abuse.

When medical liability reform is enacted at the state level …

This document explains how the enacting of medical liability reform at the state level reduces health care costs, increases access to care, and ensures that awards benefit deserving patients, not attorneys.

Medical Liability Reform Preserves Payments to Deserving Patients

This document explains how enacting comprehensive medical liability reform that allows unlimited payment of economic damages and an additional payment for non-economic damages will ensure patients who experience medical negligence will be fairly compensated for their injuries, while at the same time improving the overall medical liability system and preserving access to care.

Medical Liability Reform: A Benefit for Patients

This document outlines in detail how comprehensive medical liability reform helps patients by making sure that health care is accessible, affordable and available to patients when they need it.

Women Are Paying the Price of the Medical Liability Crisis

This document outlines the negative impact of rising health care costs and decreased patient access on women’s health.

Medical Liability Reform Provisions: Defining the Terms

This fact sheet provides definitions for various medical liability reform provisions and terms such as non-economic damages, collateral source, joint and several liability, etc. It also outlines the HCLA’s model provision in each area.

Bipartisan Support for Medical Liability Reform

This fact sheet provides quotes demonstrating widespread, bipartisan support for medical liability reform from Democrat and Republican lawmakers, health care policy experts, opinion leaders, editorial page editors, as well as public opinion polling.