Articles Posted in H.R. 1215

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Republican Arizona Representative Martha McSally recently penned an article for the Arizona Daily Star about why she decided to break party alliances and vote against a bill that would take away an injured victim’s right to fair compensation.

H.R. 1215, also known as the Protecting Access to Care Act, narrowly passed the House with a vote of 218-210 in late June, thanks to 19 ‘No’ votes from Republican congress members such as Ms. McSally. While voting has yet to take place in the Senate, the slim margin by which the bill passed in the House gives many hope that Senators and Representatives are trusting their gut feelings about such a restrictive bill, as well as listening to the loud voices of their constituents. The bill would only allow victims of medical error, nursing home abuse and neglect, and of medical device and prescription drug injuries no more than $250,000 in non-economic damages, frequently referred to as ‘pain and suffering.’

No Price Tag on a Life or One’s Livelihood

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An appeals court in Wisconsin ruled in favor of overturning the state’s $750,000 non-economic damages cap, with Judge Joan Kessler saying that a “cap on non-economic medical malpractice damages always reduces non-economic damages only for the class of the most severely injured victims who have been awarded damages exceeding the cap, yet always allows full damages to the less severely injured malpractice victims.”

The case was brought forth by Wisconsin’s state medical malpractice fund, an entity that is responsible for the payment of malpractice settlements and judgements against state-run facilities. The appeal came after a Milwaukee mother of 4 suffered from an infection that put her into septic shock and a coma, leading to amputation of all 4 limbs. The woman, Ascaris Mayo, was only 57 years old in 2011 when the missed diagnosis of a Strep A infection forced her to become a quadruple amputee. In 2014, a jury awarded her $8.8 million in economic damages, along with $16.5 million for pain and suffering. Under previous Wisconsin law, she would have been able to collect the $8.8 million in economic damages, but only $750,000 for pain and suffering.

It is expected that the state medical malpractice fund will attempt to take the appeal before the Wisconsin Supreme Court, but the victory of Mrs. Mayo in Wisconsin is a step in the right direction for all injured victims and those of us who fight for patients’ rights.

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In a House vote yesterday, H.R. 1215, also known as the Protecting Access to Care Act, passed by an extremely close margin of 218 – 210. With such questionable support, patient advocates and all of us who fight to uphold the 7th amendment (the right to a trial by jury) feel hopeful that Senate Democrats and Republicans will vote against the bill. While the date of a Senate vote is yet to be announced, we cannot stress enough how important it is to continue contacting your Senators to voice your opposition to the bill. To make your voice heard, you can call your members of Congress by visiting www.takejusticeback.com/protectpatients.  Please act now.

Below is a statement from the American Association of Justice on the passage of H.R. 1215 in the House of Representatives:

For Immediate Release 

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We’re in the final stretch of awaiting a House vote on H.R. 1215, otherwise known as the Protecting Access to Care Act. It is believed that a vote could happen at any time, leaving little time to waste in getting the message out about the deceptively named bill.

To recap, H.R. 1215 is a bill introduced in the House of Representatives and cosponsored by 3 Republican congressman from 2 states (2 from Texas, 1 from Iowa). While the name of the bill sounds like it has the best interests of Americans in mind, the grim reality is that the bill would alter the statute of limitations to bring a lawsuit against a negligent provider, as well as cap non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits at $250,000, both of which override the authority of many states who have already found malpractice caps to be unconstitutional and have set their own statute of limitations.

A cap on non-economic damages is an insult to every victim, both current and future, that has suffered from medical negligence. This means that preventable medical errors that cause suffering such as infertility, paralysis, brain damage, trauma (both physical and emotional), and even death are worth no more than $250,000.

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After our attorneys contacted Illinois Senator Dick Durbin to urge him to oppose H.R. 1215, the Protecting Access to Care Act, we were happy to receive an email acknowledging our concerns. In addition to thanking us for taking the time to reach out to him, Senator Durbin shared several items that we know to be true regarding medical malpractice. Namely, that medical malpractice costs account for less than 3% of all healthcare expenditures, that 6% of physicians are responsible for 60% of all medical malpractice lawsuits, and that medical error is the 3rd leading cause of death in this country.

Senator Durbin reinforces what we already know about healthcare and our legal system: medical malpractice lawsuits are not responsible for the high cost of healthcare and limiting the ability of victims to seek justice for injury from medical errors is a violation of our rights.

We would like to thank Senator Durbin for recognizing and sharing in our fight against H.R. 1215.

Our attorneys would like to share the contents of his letter with you:

 Thank you for contacting me about the Protecting Access to Care Act (H.R. 1215).  I appreciate hearing from you.

Introduced by Representative Steve King of Iowa, the Protecting Access to Care Act would reduce the statute of limitations for health care lawsuits to three years after the date of injury. Non-economic damages awarded would be limited to $250,000 or less, no matter the number of parties in the lawsuit.  Health care providers who prescribe FDA approved products would be protected from any lawsuits involving those products.  No companion bill has been introduced in the Senate.

Proponents of reforming our medical liability system contend that we should establish limits on medical negligence settlements to prevent meritless lawsuits and reduce health care costs.  However, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that malpractice costs amounted to less than three percent of overall health care spending.  Additionally, nearly 70 percent of all medical negligence lawsuits result in no settlement.  An estimated six percent of doctors are responsible for 60 percent of all medical negligence that result in claims.  The justice system is our only effective means of holding these doctors accountable.

According to the Institute of Medicine, preventable medical errors kill as many as 98,000 Americans every year and injure countless more.  Medical errors are the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States.

The Protecting Access to Care Act has been referred to the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce Committee.  I will keep your concerns about this legislation in mind should the Senate consider similar legislation.

Thank you again for contacting me.  Please feel free to keep in touch.

 
      Sincerely,
Sen_Signature
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
RJD/jw
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H.R. 1215, a proposed house bill also known as the Protecting Access to Care Act, takes away the rights of all Americans, but is particularly worrying to veterans, whose health system is already failing them. The Veteran’s Health Administration (VA) serves nearly 9 million U.S. veterans and is the largest health care system in the country. The number of veterans receiving care through the VA has continually increased since 2010, which is in line with the increase in veterans returning from tours in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Patient Safety an Issue at VA Facilities
It’s no secret that the VA has been plagued by issues, including delayed care and treatment due to excessive wait times and inadequate staffing that has ultimately led to a rash of medical errors, many of which have been fatal. The Government Accountability Office reported that as the number of patients seen by the VA has increased, so has the number of medical errors. The Center for Justice & Democracy at New York Law School compiled a fact sheet on the impact H.R. 1215 would have on veterans and cites an April 2017 report by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General (VA OIG) that found 194 instances in the past 3 years alone where patient safety was at jeopardy. The fact sheet also cites another report that found that from 2001-2011, the government paid out over 1,000 malpractice claims. If a medical error ends in an injury or death while under the care of the VA, the U.S. Government is ultimately at fault. In limiting non-economic damages to $250,000 (as H.R. 1215 seeks to do), the government is protecting itself from large payouts for tragic consequences stemming from their inability to fix a long-ailing health system. The negative impact of H.R. 1215 is wide-reaching. From sick children receiving Medicaid, to elderly adults receiving Medicaid and Medicare, to veterans, we all stand to be harmed by the so called Protecting Access to Care Act. The only ones being shielded by such legislation are those who should be held responsible.