On the recordMarch 22, 2013
I oppose this amendment. Malpractice premiums and claims and claim payouts have all gone down in recent years, partly as a result of steps many of our States have already taken. Caps on noneconomic damages limit compensation for such harms as loss of fertility or severe disfigurement or loss of mobility or loss of a spouse or a child. Damage caps do not affect frivolous lawsuits but, rather, impact the victims who have been seriously injured and who would win in court. Tort reform can create enormous risks and costs. Immunizing health care providers against accountability for their mistakes risks increasing the number of preventable medical errors. So this proposal would cut losses for insurers by curbing our patients' right to sue, but there is no requirement in these proposals for insurers to pass on any savings to the doctors who pay their premiums. So I recommend a ``no'' vote on this amendment and ask for the yeas and nays. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there a sufficient second? There appears to be a sufficient second. The question is on agreeing to the amendment. The clerk will call the roll.
