RE: Support for H.R. 1215, the “Protecting Access to Care Act”
Dear Representative King:
As the Alliance of Specialty Medicine (Alliance), our mission is to advocate for sound federal health care
policy that fosters patient accessto the highest quality specialty care. As patient and physician advocates,
the Alliance writes in support of H.R. 1215, the “Protecting Access to Care Act”. This bill sets conditions
for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims.
The Alliance supports meaningful medical liability reform that reduces growth in health care costs,
stabilizes professional liability insurance premiums, preserves access to specialty care, and encourages
physician engagement in meaningful quality improvement activities. Meaningful medical liability reform,
as outlined in the Protecting Access to Care Act, fully compensates patients for medical/economic
damages, while placing a $250,000 limit on noneconomic damages and making a defendant liable only for
damages equal to his/her share of responsibility; maximizes patient awards and discourages frivolous
lawsuits through sliding scale contingency fees.
We appreciate that H.R. 1215 respects state reforms and provides flexibility for states to best meet the
needs of their residents. PACA strikes an appropriate balance between federal and state authority by only
applying PACA provisions when a medical liability case involves federal healthcare funds.
For these reasons, the Alliance extends our strong support for this important legislation.
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