News Release

Statement by Tommy G. Thompson
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Regarding S. 2061, the "Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act"

Today the Senate has the opportunity to protect America's mothers and babies, doctors and hospitals from the staggering costs of out-of-control lawsuits by passing meaningful medical liability reforms. I urge the Senate to pass the "Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act."

It is especially alarming that many ob-gyns are closing their practices, quitting the delivery of babies or cutting back their services in other ways. If we do not address the medical liability issue, many women may not be able to obtain necessary medical care services. Especially in rural communities, this crisis is another obstacle that is making it even more difficult and complicated for women to access care. This is unacceptable. We can protect patients and address harmful care when it exists without crippling our health care system or encouraging inappropriate use of our legal system.

Frivolous lawsuits lead to significant expenses for this nation beyond court costs. Unlimited and unpredictable liability awards raise the costs of health care for all Americans through higher premiums for insurance. Skyrocketing premium expenses caused more than one-fourth of hospitals to curtail or completely discontinue a service. Many communities are losing access to medical care as doctors leave their practices and move to states that have enacted medical liability reforms and caps on non-economic damages.

Patients' access to care -- as well as the cost and quality of their health care -- is being impeded by the spiraling cost of insurance for health care providers and by unnecessary tests and procedures ordered by doctors to avoid becoming entangled in the litigation system. By passing critical reforms to the medical liability system, we can better direct our health dollars toward health care -- not toward excessive legal costs. We need to pass this legislation to help ensure that women and their children can count on access to quality health care in their community.

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Last Revised: February 24, 2004