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04/25/2006

Support Comprehensive Medical Liability Reform Legislation

Due Your Part- Call Ohio Senators TODAY!

Help support comprehensive medical liability reform

The U.S. House and Senate returned on April 24 after the Spring District Work Period. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced that the Senate will hold a "Health Week" during the week beginning May 1. During Health Week, the Senate will consider comprehensive medical liability reform and legislation to create small business health plans. The medical liability legislation includes a "stacked" $750,000 cap on noneconomic damages.

According to the latest information received from the Majority Leader's office, there may be two critical votes on medical liability reform. The first, on S.22, covers all physicians. The second, on S.23, would apply to one specialty only, the ob-gyns. Passage of either one would trigger a conference with the House to develop a compromise bill. The House passed their version of medical liability reform, HR 5, earlier last year.

Medical liability legislation has been stalled in the Senate for several years. ACEP supports both bills as a method of passing medical liability reform in the Senate for all physicians and patients. We urge you to contact your two Senators immediately to urge them to vote "YES" on both bills.

ALERT MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORM
CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATORS

ACEP has set-up a toll-free Medical Liability Reform Hotline in coordination with the Alliance of Specialty Medicine. We urge you to use this hotline to contact your Senators to request they vote "YES" for S.22 and S.23.

The number to call is: 866-899-4088
Each specialty organization in the Alliance has been assigned a four-digit specialty code.
ACEP's code is 3434
Please wait until you are prompted to enter the code. The system also provides suggested talking points for your calls. Once you have entered the code, you will be prompted to enter your zip code which will begin the process of connecting you to your Senators' offices.

Please urge both Senators to vote "YES" for S.22 and S.23 so that your patients will have access to the care they need. We also encourage you to share your personal stories of how the medical liability crisis has affected your practice and your patients.

Information above appeared in the April 21, 2006 Volume 2, Number 47 issue of ACEP 911 Network Weekly Update.

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