Medical Liability Reform

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) discussed the pending legislation to reform the medical liability system. He said that over the last ten years, liability has become a problem of crisis proportions within the medical field. He called the current system both “a tragedy and a catastrophe.” The medical profession, he said, now has to be more concerned about defensive medicine than in providing high quality, cost-effective care. He said that the situation is deterring bright minds from entering into the medical profession and ruining the careers of good doctors. Sen. Hatch asked, “How many tragedies does it takes to make a catastrophe? Well, I think we’ve had enough.” Sen. Hatch said that he believed his legislation will help to restore the balance between the rights of patients in the legal system and the urgent need to improve the delivery of health care. close