Statement of Joanne Doroshow, Executive Director, Center for Justice & Democracy, in Response to U.S. House of Representatives Passage of H.R. 5

For Immediate Release:
March 13, 2003

Contact: Joanne Doroshow
212/267-2801

Statement by Joanne Doroshow, Executive Director, Center for Justice & Democracy,
In Response to Passage of HR 5 by the U.S. House of Representatives

New York, NY - The Center for Justice & Democracy strongly condemns the U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of H.R. 5. The legislation erodes patients’ rights to quality care, leave malpracticing hospitals, HMOs, nursing homes, doctors and even pharmaceutical companies off the hook for injuring patients, while doing nothing to control insurance rates for doctors.

This bill will lead to more medical errors and do nothing to help doctors who are being price-gouged by insurance companies. Moreover, it will disproportionately hurt the most severely injured Americans, such as seniors in nursing homes, quadriplegic workers and brain-damaged children.

Insurance companies, whose own questionable business and accounting practices have made insurance unaffordable for many health care professionals, are blaming others for their own mismanagement. Rather than trying to reign in this rogue, profiteering industry, the House has decided to focus on limiting patients’ rights to hold hospitals and HMOs accountable in court. The only result will be to increase medical malpractice and make insurance companies richer.

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The Center for Justice & Democracy is a national non-profit consumer organization that is dedicated to protecting the civil justice system. CJ&D is not affiliated with any trial lawyer or business organization.