Bill Isn't Bipartisan Without Tort Reform

Washington, D.C. - House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today issued the following statement regarding the President’s bipartisan health care summit:

Ranking Member Smith: “Inviting Republicans to the table to discuss health care reform is a good first step.  But if the President is serious about bipartisan reform, he must include real tort reforms that produce savings for the American people. 

“The Congressional Budget Office estimated that lawsuit abuse reform to reduce frivolous lawsuits-similar to those enacted by Texas and California-would save the American people at least $54 billion in health care costs.  But Democrats refuse to consider any reforms that limit trial lawyers’ ability to extort billions of dollars from doctors and insurance companies annually.

“Unfortunately, the White House’s proposal is the wrong prescription for what ails the healthcare industry.  It will have the same effect as telling a patient with high cholesterol to eat more fatty foods.  If the President wants to reduce health care costs and increase competition, tort reform should be the first option on the table, not the last.”

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, 40% of medical malpractice suits filed in the U.S. are “without merit.” A Department of Health and Human Services study found that unlimited excessive damages add $70-$126 billion annually to health care costs.