“The costs of medical liability insurance are an excessive and growing burden on doctors and hospitals,” Baird said.  “Unfortunately, most of the legislative proposals we've seen in Congress have put political sound bites over sound policy and have favored special interests rather than working for real solutions.  What we need is a comprehensive approach that lowers the costs of insurance, reduces medical errors, limits frivolous lawsuits, protects the rights of patients who have been harmed, and lets doctors and hospitals focus on what really matters—caring for patients and their families. 

Congressman Baird held roundtable forums today at Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver and yesterday at St. John’s Medical Center yesterday in Longview to present physicians, hospital administrators, and other healthcare-industry officials with a five-point statement of principles that will serve as the basis for his medical malpractice proposal. 

Baird's statement of principles calls for a legislative solution that would:

1. Reduce Frivolous Lawsuits and Set Reasonable, Inflation-adjusted Limits on Non-economic Damages
   
2. Regulate and Reform the Medical Malpractice Insurance Industry
   
3. Provide  Effective, Lower Cost Alternatives to Litigation through the Promotion of Successful Mediation Practices
   
4. Reduce Preventable Medical Errors, Improve Oversight by Medical Review and Licensing Boards, and Hold Doctors Accountable for Mistakes
   
5. Apply These Reforms Solely to Hospitals, Doctors, and Other Health Professionals, but Not Include Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Manufacturers in the Proposed Caps and Other Reforms.

Commenting on Baird’s statement of principles, Southwest Washington Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gil Rodriguez said, “Overall, it is a great starting point for the discussion.  Understanding there will be compromise, it’s right on.”

Regarding the medical liability crisis, roundtable attendee Dr. Jay Miller of Vancouver said, “In medicine, we are under attack.  The current situation makes every patient a potential adversary.”

Baird added, “Before entering Congress I worked in health care for twenty-three years.  That's why I wanted to hear first hand from doctors and hospitals to learn more about the challenges they face and get their input on how our proposal would address those challenges.  I don't expect everyone to agree one hundred percent with this legislation, but I do believe it is a common sense, practical effort that will lower the costs and improve the quality of health care, protect patient rights,  prevent abuses by unrestrained insurers, and give doctors and hospitals the assurance that they do not have to go broke paying malpractice insurance or live in constant fear of unfounded lawsuits.”