Joseph T. Burns: “next week should be a week of looking at our health care system and debating on the direction that I think the policy…”

“next week should be a week of looking at our health care system and debating on the direction that I think the policy should go in that area. Not only do we have tort reform that has been suggested by the leader, but also the ability of small business to band together across States to lower the cost of insurance, especially small business owners who have less than 10 employees, and sole proprietors, and even individuals, to band together and do something about lowering their costs of insurance. Today, I want to open minds and start setting the framework of what this debate is all about that will occur next week. It is about the unrestrained escalation of jury awards that are driving up the cost of many medical procedures. Consequently, many of our best and brightest in the medical field are limiting services, retiring early, or move to States where liability premiums are stable in order to carry out their Hippocratic Oath. The true victims of this disturbing trend are the vulnerable and sick among us whose access to quality care becomes more restricted with each day that this crisis is not addressed. It is time for responsible legislators to do what is right for our health care system and the medical community and pass S. 22, the Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2006 and S. 23, the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Act. The consequences of this trend fall hardest on women and children.…”