Mike Doyle: “I represent Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and in the great State of Pennsylvania, doctors are paying way, way too much for…”

“I represent Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and in the great State of Pennsylvania, doctors are paying way, way too much for malpractice insurance. It is a crisis, and they need some immediate relief. Unfortunately, the bill we have before us today will do nothing to give any doctor in my State any immediate relief. It will not do a single thing to reduce frivolous lawsuits. There is nothing in this bill that will reduce frivolous lawsuits. So, Mr. Speaker, what should we do to address this situation? In Pennsylvania, we have just recently last year passed three laws that I believe are going a long way to address the problem. Number one, Pennsylvania has prohibited venue shopping for oversympathetic jury pools. We have established tough sanctions against lawyers who filed frivolous suits. We have reformed joint and several liability provisions to ensure all liable parties are truly responsible for their fair share of the judgment. We have established strict new standards for expert witnesses. We have allowed courts to reduce verdict amounts if the award will adversely impact access to health care. We have imposed a 7-year statute of limitations on filing of claims, and we have required insurers to offer patients safety discounts to medical facilities with good track records. These are the types of reforms that will help deal with the situation. Putting a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages disproportionately hurts poor people.”