House and Senate Work Together on Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act

The Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act has been introduced in both the House and Senate, and supporters say it offers physicians who document adherence to certain evidence-based clinical-practice guidelines a safe harbor from medical liability litigation.

An attorney, Congressman Andy Barr of Kentucky has taken the lead in sponsoring the bill in the House of Representatives, which currently has 10 cosponsors. He first introduced the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act in the 113th Congress.

“By affording doctors who adhere to evidence-based best practice guidelines a legal safe harbor, the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act will improve outcomes for patients, reduce health care costs and keep more good doctors in practice,” said Congressman Barr.

Senator John Barrasso, a physician, introduced the measure in the Senate, and was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia in support of the measure.

“Our bill takes a reasonable approach that will protect patients and allow medical professionals to spend more time focusing on practicing medicine—and less time in the courtroom,” said Senator Barrasso.

HCLA and Protect Patients Now have not taken a position on the legislation as several areas of concern exist within our membership, including what to do when published guidelines conflict with each other. We appreciate, however, the commitment of these leaders in the House and Senate in seeking to promote reform of our medical liability system. We will continue to update PPN members as this bill progresses in both chambers of Congress.

You can click here to read the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act in full.

Illinois Governor Prioritizes Liability Reforms

Long known as the home of “jackpot justice,” personal injury lawyers have flocked to Illinois, and specifically, Madison County, over the last decade, bringing with them meritless lawsuits and displacing deserving patients from the legal system.

This year, a number of bills related to medical liability reform have been given priority by the Governor of Illinois, and while they have so far failed to advance in the Illinois legislature, patient advocates and supporters of reform continue to press for their consideration.

An opinion piece in a number of Illinois newspapers, penned by Travis Akin, the executive director of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch stated that “Governor Rauner’s reasonable, common sense lawsuit reforms will create jobs and unclog our courts, which will speed the legal process for those with legitimate claims.”

The Illinois State Medical Society made the case for reform in the midst of the legislature’s actions, noting that “States with strong medical liability protections spend less on health care through lower medical liability insurance premiums and decreased spending associated with defensive medicine. They are also more likely to attract and retain a strong physician workforce.”

While the liability reform bills have stalled in the legislature this year, the priority placed on this issue by the Governor of Illinois is a step in the right direction for improving patient access to care.

To read the full op-ed by Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch, click here.