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Senate expected to vote on medical liability reform bill

Ambulatory Surgery Reimbursement Update, May 9, 2006

The U.S. Senate was expected to vote on the Medical Care Access Protection Act of 2006 yesterday which, if passed, would cap medical liability damages.

The American Medical Association (AMA), in a press release, described the bill, S. 22, as one that is "based on a successful law in Texas that has reduced medical liability premiums by 22% and has allowed doctors to provide quality medical care. This legislation includes reforms that allocates damages fairly and provides reasonable limits on non-economic damages to patients."

Both the AMA and the American Society of Anesthesiologists had urged its members to support the bill.

"The introduction of medical liability reform legislation in the Senate is a critical step toward enacting federal legislation to stop the nation's medical liability crisis," said Cecil Wilson, MD, AMA board member, in a press release. "The [AMA] greatly appreciates the leadership of Senator John Ensign in introducing medical liability reform legislation that, if passed, will help stop America's out-of-control medical liability crisis."

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