Pa. Governor Hails Improvements in Med-Mal Insurance Market
East News • October 24, 2005
Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell said that his state has turned the corner on improving its medical malpractice insurance market thanks in part to recent legislative and court reforms and he ...
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Subject: News Release: PA Hospitals Support Extending Mcare Abatement
Posted On: October 25, 2005, 7:43 am CDT
Posted By: Roger Baumgarten
Comment:
http://www.haponline.org/communications/news/releases/
Harrisburg - October 24
The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) today released the following statement by President and CEO Carolyn F. Scanlan in response to Governor Ed RendellÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s call for an extension, through 2007, of the Health Care Provider Retention Program (Mcare abatement):
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅWe appreciate the GovernorÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s continued support of relief to PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s hospitals and physicians, as contained in House Bill 2041, introduced by Representative Steve Nickol, and Senate Bill 972, introduced by Senator John Rafferty.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅExtension of the Mcare abatement will translate into preserved patient access to health care.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅThough some short-term improvements in the medical liability environment are evident, access to care in this state remains vulnerable due to continued high liability insurance costs and the continued absence of an overall competitive private insurance market.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅLike other major sectors in Pennsylvania, health care has difficulty in recruiting young, new, and established physicians to Pennsylvania.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅAs PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s hospitals have said previously, fully restoring the stateÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s medical liability insurance market requires a number of short- and long-term measures.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅLegislative and judicial reformsÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬"including Act 13 of 2002 and venue reformsÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬"require three to five years for full impact.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅIn the meantime, extension of the Mcare abatement will give providers additional breathing room while enacted reforms take hold and additional needed reforms are proposed, debated, and passed.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅThese additional reforms include re-passage of joint-and-several liability reform, called the Fair Share Act; reasonable limits on non-economic damages; and adoption of an alternative dispute resolution process.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅThe ultimate beneficiaries of these liability reform measures will be the Pennsylvanians who depend on round-the-clock access to physician and hospital care.ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃÂ
Subject: News Release: PA Hospitals Support Extending Mcare Abatement
Harrisburg - October 24
The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) today released the following statement by President and CEO Carolyn F. Scanlan in response to Governor Ed RendellÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s call for an extension, through 2007, of the Health Care Provider Retention Program (Mcare abatement):
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅWe appreciate the GovernorÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s continued support of relief to PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s hospitals and physicians, as contained in House Bill 2041, introduced by Representative Steve Nickol, and Senate Bill 972, introduced by Senator John Rafferty.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅExtension of the Mcare abatement will translate into preserved patient access to health care.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅThough some short-term improvements in the medical liability environment are evident, access to care in this state remains vulnerable due to continued high liability insurance costs and the continued absence of an overall competitive private insurance market.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅLike other major sectors in Pennsylvania, health care has difficulty in recruiting young, new, and established physicians to Pennsylvania.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅAs PennsylvaniaÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s hospitals have said previously, fully restoring the stateÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢s medical liability insurance market requires a number of short- and long-term measures.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅLegislative and judicial reformsÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬"including Act 13 of 2002 and venue reformsÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬"require three to five years for full impact.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅIn the meantime, extension of the Mcare abatement will give providers additional breathing room while enacted reforms take hold and additional needed reforms are proposed, debated, and passed.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅThese additional reforms include re-passage of joint-and-several liability reform, called the Fair Share Act; reasonable limits on non-economic damages; and adoption of an alternative dispute resolution process.
ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬ÅThe ultimate beneficiaries of these liability reform measures will be the Pennsylvanians who depend on round-the-clock access to physician and hospital care.ÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬ÃâÃÂ