The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee approved HR 5, a bi-partisan bill containing significant medical liability reforms intended to help repair the flawed medical liability system, reduce the increase of health care costs, and safeguard patients’ access to medical care.
On May 11, 2011, Pennsylvania Reps. Joe Pitts and Tim Murphy supported its passage, while Rep. Mike Doyle abstained on the final vote.
HR 5 – the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011 – was introduced by Reps. Phil Gingrey, MD (R-GA), David Scott (D-GA), and Lamar Smith (R-TX).
The Pennsylvania Medical Society has been a long-time advocate for medical liability reforms, and has been successful in getting a number of reforms passed in Pennsylvania. For example, the reforms included in Act 13 (signed into law March 20, 2002) helped create a significantly improved climate for physicians and hospitals to provide quality medical care.