Richard Burr: “some in this institution suggest that there is no liability crisis in health care in America. I am here today to say…”

“some in this institution suggest that there is no liability crisis in health care in America. I am here today to say that I don't think anyone in America believes that. They may believe it in this institution. As a Senator from North Carolina, I can state no one from North Carolina believes it. Not only has the out-of-control litigation in health care over the last decade inflated the cost for every American, it has now begun to affect the access we have to health care services. Doctors across the State in North Carolina report they have been forced to reduce the coverage of critical medical services, especially in obstetrics, neurosurgery, orthopedics, plastic surgery, and primary care because of the sharp increase in the cost of medical malpractice insurance coverage. It has gotten so high they cannot afford the coverage. Hospitals are concerned about the potential reduction in their services to their communities in the future as a result of the current crisis in medical liability insurance where premium increases and declining reimbursements continue. Hospitals report that the insurance crisis is making it increasingly more difficult for their medical staff to obtain adequate insurance coverage, and more importantly, at affordable prices. The crisis is real. We can no longer in this institution act like an ostrich, put our head in a hole in the ground, and believe because we cannot see it, it does not exist.…”