Michael Burgess: “I rise today to protest the increase of medical liability costs in an environment where it has become all too…”

“I rise today to protest the increase of medical liability costs in an environment where it has become all too commonplace to name the innocent in lawsuits, drive good doctors from the practice of medicine, and play games with the health care of vulnerable patients. This crisis has reached my home State of Texas, and even reached the cities and towns that I now represent in Congress. For instance, my neighbor, Dr. John Marsden, a vascular surgeon in my district, must pay $6,600 per month for his medical liability coverage. That is nearly $80,000 a year just to purchase insurance to stay in business. I do not think we would find it acceptable if other kinds of businesses had to absorb that kind of overhead. After being named in numerous unfounded lawsuits where there has been no affirmative finding in favor of the plaintiff, Dr. Marsden notes that if he sustains another increase in his medical liability rates, he will be forced to leave his medical practice.”