Congressmen aim to reduce med mal abuse
Seeking to lower healthcare costs and improve patient care by reducing medical lawsuit abuse and using evidence-based guidelines developed by doctors, medical liability reform legislation is being sponsored by Reps. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Andy Barr (R-KY).
They recently introduced H.R. 4106, the Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act. The unlikely allies are not only on different sides of the aisle, but come from what has traditionally been separate sides of the issue — as Bera is a physician and Barr is an attorney.
The Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act will offer physicians who document adherence to certain evidence-based clinical-practice guidelines a safe harbor from medical liability litigation.
"The bipartisan Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act is a practical way to bring down the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, and to make the system work better for patients that people from both parties can get behind," Bera said in a released statement. "As a doctor, I know that physicians want to do what’s best for their patients, and promoting evidence-based medicine will help us do that."
