WASHINGTON D.C. - Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) threw his support behind a bill that will curb abusive medical lawsuits, lowering the cost of healthcare nationwide."This is a crucial step in replacing the President's healthcare law with common sense reforms that have been proven to work in multiple states such as Colorado, California and Texas," Gardner said.
H.R. 5, authored by Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), places a limit on the non-economic damages that can be awarded in a medical liability lawsuit at $250,000 for states that do not have caps already. Currently, there are 28 states that cap medical liability damages, Colorado being one of them. This legislation will not override caps already in place.
Medical liability caps have been proven to lower healthcare costs and increase the number of practicing doctors available in certain areas. Rural communities are especially vulnerable to doctor shortages, like surgeons and obstetricians.
Gardner co-sponsored H.R. 5, which passed out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce by a vote of 30 to 20 late this evening. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that comprehensive medical liability reforms, such as those included in H.R. 5, could reduce the federal deficit by $62 billion over 10 years.
During his time in the Colorado legislature, Gardner was honored by the Colorado Civil Justice League for his efforts on tort reform, and received the group's "Common Sense in the Courtroom" award.
