Jon L. Christensen: “as you know, I am a family physician, and I rise tonight to speak about an issue that is critically important to the…”

“as you know, I am a family physician, and I rise tonight to speak about an issue that is critically important to the viability of the health care system in this country. In addition to the impact of many millions of uninsured on the reduced viability of hospitals and quality health services for every one and our failure to make the proper investment in the health of people of color and in our rural areas, we have, for too long, allowed our doctors and other providers to be crushed by high and ever-increasing malpractice costs. If we continue this way, there will be no health care for anyone, insured or uninsured. This evening, I want to focus on the malpractice crisis. On issues as complex as this, it is impossible to apply a single fix, yet that is what H.R. 5 attempts to do. Its only remedy is the instituting of a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering, regardless of the number of parties against whom the action is brought. This cap is modeled after MICRA, California's Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act, which has clearly not worked. In addition, underserved minorities, children, and patients with low or no income are not well served by H.R. 5. Compensation for economic damages for minorities and women is often already much less than those awarded to white males.”