Broad Health Coalition Applauds President Obama's Commitment to Medical Liabil...(said. Medical lawsuit abuse dr...),Health

Medical lawsuit abuse drives up the costs of health care and drives good doctors out of the practice of medicine. The fear of being sued has caused physicians to subject their patients to tests and procedures they may not need, driving up medical costs exponentially. According to a recent study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers' Health Research Institute, defensive medicine adds up to nearly $210 billion per year in wasteful spending - the highest amount of waste in health care spending.

Further, good doctors are limiting their services, retiring early, or leaving the practice of medicine altogether, leaving patients without the care they need -- especially in states without effective medical liability reforms. The situation is especially dire in the fields of obstetrics, emergency medicine and specialty surgery. Women and those living in rural areas are particularly vulnerable.

To read more about the HCLA's recent action on health care and medical liability reforms, visit www.hcla.org.

For more details, visit www.hcla.org. The Health Coalition on Liability and Access is a national advocacy coalition representing doctors, hospitals, health care liability insurers, employers, health care consumers, and others. HCLA believes federal legislation is needed to bring fairness, timeliness and cost-efficiency to America's medical liability system.