Gordon’s Statement on Obama’s Health Care Speech

September 9, 2009, WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bart Gordon released the following statement about President Obama’s health care address:

“I am pleased the President talked about the problem of defensive medicine in his speech tonight. 

“In June, the President put forth the challenge to find ways to reduce the number of medical liability lawsuits without capping malpractice awards.  I took up the President’s challenge and authored the only medical malpractice provision that has been adopted in the any of the health care reform proposals before Congress. 

“I believe medical malpractice reform could significantly reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits and encourage doctors to abandon the practice of defensive medicine.  It’s simple: many doctors across our country order unnecessary tests and procedures to avoid being legally vulnerable and sued for medical malpractice.  Defensive medicine, estimated to cost $210 billion each year, is one of the largest sources of wasteful spending in the U.S. health care system. 

“Medical malpractice reform will not only help reduce the staggering costs associated with our health care system, it will allow doctors to focus on practicing medicine, not defensive medicine.  Moving forward, I believe medical malpractice reform has to be part of any health care reform bill that Congress passes and the President signs.”