Pete Domenici: “I strongly support the Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act of 2004. I thank Majority Leader Frist for…”

“I strongly support the Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act of 2004. I thank Majority Leader Frist for proactively addressing this crisis. Across America, health care providers, especially health care providers that work in high-risk services such as obstetricians, gynecologists, and emergency personnel, have faced difficulty obtaining affordable medical liability coverage. Doctors are being hit with dramatic increases in the premiums they pay for liability insurance--if insurance is even available in their area. These soaring costs are depriving patient's access to crucial medical care, especially in rural areas, where some services are already in short supply. In a number of instances, doctors are forced to relocate their practice as hospitals and physicians find it increasingly difficult to continue offering certain services. Without real reform, more and more Americans will find that health care services are simply going to disappear from their communities. And, in my opinion, this is unacceptable, especially when a reasonable solution is at hand. There is a map I have seen in this chamber. This map is of the United States, and each of the States is color-coded: red if the State is in crisis, yellow if the State is showing problems, and white if the State is currently OK. I am very proud that my State, New Mexico, is one of the six states that is white.”