Business Roundtable Statement on House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Medical Liability

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- “Business Roundtable is a strong supporter of medical liability reform and commends the House Judiciary Committee for addressing this important and costly issue. In omitting it from the health care reform law, Congress missed an opportunity to enact legislation that could reduce the rate of health care spending, while providing assurance to patients that they will not lose access to certain physicians and services.

“We welcome this opportunity to openly discuss how the business community, the medical community and policymakers can work together to find innovative solutions such as the use of appropriate medical practice guidelines – as developed by national professional organizations or other similarly qualified organizations – that if followed by a physician, would act as a complete defense to a malpractice action. By working together, a solution can be found to fairly compensate malpractice victims and curb unnecessary lawsuits and defensive medicine, while protecting patient safety, improving access to care and reducing costs,” said Business Roundtable President John Engler.

Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with nearly $6 trillion in annual revenues and more than 13 million employees. Business Roundtable member companies comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock markets, invest more than $114 billion annually in research and development – nearly half of all private U.S. R&D spending, pay more than $179 billion in dividends to shareholders and the economy and play a significant role in the competitiveness of small businesses, serving as key customers of their goods and services and providing them with access to world markets.

Business Roundtable companies give more than $7 billion a year in combined charitable contributions, representing nearly 60 percent of total corporate giving.

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CONTACT:

Business Roundtable
Kirk Monroe, 202-496-3269

KEYWORDS:   United States  North America  District of Columbia

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Health  Small Business  Public Policy/Government  Healthcare Reform  Congressional News/Views  Public Policy  Professional Services  General Health

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