Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: “Someone needs to stand up for American physicians. Somebody needs to stand up for the American health care system. What…”

“Someone needs to stand up for American physicians. Somebody needs to stand up for the American health care system. What is the problem? Malpractice premiums have skyrocketed. What is the answer proposed by our friends on the other side? It is H.R. 4600. Let us make no mistake about it, H.R. 4600 is a hoax, it is a sham, and our friends know it. It is a sham on the American medical establishment by the insurance carriers, who want to limit their exposure but will not commit to reducing premiums. Please read the bill. H.R. 4600 limits the amount that carriers pay for legitimate claims, but it has absolutely no provision requiring reducing premiums; none, zero, zilch, nada, nothing, and they know it. It is a scam. In fact, Mr. Speaker, in States that have enacted caps, in States that have enacted caps, the malpractice premiums are higher than in States that have no caps. But the carriers do not want to tell us that. Why? That is because their interests are in conflict with the medical community. I want to ask a question: Do the words 'Patients' Bill of Rights' ring a familiar note? What causes the problems? It is not physicians, it is not patients, it is not even the lawyers they are talking about; the problem is the market. St. Paul recently, in announcing it was exiting the market, said they paid too much in claims; but, oh, yes, they forgot to mention they lost $108 million in Enron. Every time the market goes down, they claim a medical liability crisis.”