AAMC Letter to Rep. Greenwood
on HEALTH Act
May 20, 2002
The Honorable Jim Greenwood
United States House of Representatives
2436 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congressman Greenwood:
On behalf of the 125 medical schools, over 400 major teaching
hospitals, more than 105,000 faculty in 98 academic medical
and scientific societies, and approximately 163,000 medical
students and residents represented by the Association of American
Medical Colleges (AAMC), I write to express the AAMC's support
for H.R. 4600, the "Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost,
Timely Healthcare Act of 2002" (HEALTH Act). Your legislation
takes an important first step in reforming the costly and
problematic medical liability system under which we now operate.
Teaching hospitals and academic physicians currently face
rapid and significant increases in medical liability insurance
premiums. These increases are a significant burden on AAMC
members who perform over two-thirds of all highly specialized
surgeries and provide about 45 percent of the nation's uncompensated
care within the context of a growing workforce shortage, increased
disaster readiness responsibilities, and declining reimbursement.
The AAMC supports the HEALTH Act for reining in medical
liability insurance premiums by establishing statutes of limitations,
capping non-economic awards, limiting attorneys' contingency
fees, and implementing joint and several liability reforms.
The AAMC also supports H.R. 4600 for its provisions regarding
collateral source benefits and periodic payment of awards.
On behalf of the AAMC and its members, I applaud your leadership
in introducing the HEALTH Act and welcome the opportunity
to work with your staff in achieving an equitable and fiscally
sound medical liability system.
Sincerely,
Jordan J. Cohen, M.D.
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