Californians Allied For Patient Protection Commends President Obama For State Of The Union Comments Supporting Medical Malpractice Reform

SACRAMENTO, Calif. , Jan. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lisa Maas, executive director of Californians Allied for Patient Protection (CAPP), issued the following statement in response to President Obama's State of the Union speech last night in which he indicated support for medical malpractice reform, noting that frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits increase healthcare costs.

CAPP is a coalition of physicians, hospitals, community clinics, local governments, dentists, nurses and other groups supporting California's Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) law which provides reasonable reforms on medical liability lawsuits to protect access to healthcare. MICRA provides injured patients unlimited compensation for economic damages (lost wages, medical costs), unlimited punitive damages, and up to $250,000 for non-economic damages (pain and suffering).

"We were heartened by President Obama's remarks last night in the State of the Union address. President Obama rightly zeroed in on one significant driver of higher health care costs: frivolous lawsuits alleging medical negligence against medical providers. A September 2010 study found medical liability costs impact the federal health care system by $55 billion annually. That is money better spent on patient care.

"Hopefully, this acknowledgment signals a willingness to look at California's successful Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) as a model at the federal level. MICRA has been successful in California at keeping costs associated with medical liability down, while ensuring patient access to care.

"MICRA fairly compensates patients injured due to malpractice, while also reducing incentives for trial lawyers to file meritless lawsuits against doctors, hospitals, community clinics and other healthcare providers alleging medical negligence.