CMA Past-President Speaks at Washington
Rally for Malpractice Reform
[Posted 04/21/05]

Frustrated by rising malpractice insurance rates, 3,000 physicians converged on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday to rally for meaningful medical liability reform legislation. The “White Coat Caravan and Rally” was organized by the Coalition for Accessible Physicians (CAP) with the participation of physicians from nine states—Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Marie Kuffner, M.D., past president of CMA, was among the speakers. She told the gathering how California’s Medical Injury Reform and Compensation Act (MICRA) has stabilized malpractice rates in California and kept them from soaring out of control as has happened around the country.

“MICRA has saved California physicians from the crippling increases in liability insurance that have driven physicians from practice in some states,” said Dr. Kuffner. “California physicians stand strongly with our colleagues in other states and will continue to advocate for a federal cap on noneconomic damages so physicians around the nation can enjoy a better practice environment.”

Although the House of Representatives passed federal malpractice reform bills in the 2002 and 2003 legislative sessions, the Senate has been unable to do the same. Rally organizers hope that the show of force will help change crucial votes in the Senate.

CMA is actively working with our federal legislators and other state medical associations to make sure they are aware of the MICRA success story, and to guarantee that much-needed national medical malpractice reform efforts do not undermine MICRA.

Contact: CMA Media Relations, 916/444-5532 or knikos@cmanet.org.