WASHINGTON – The Health Coalition on Liability and Access (HCLA) announced today that the coalition has established a strategic partnership with Protect Patients Now (PPN), a national grassroots organization founded by Doctors for Medical Liability Reform (DMLR).

The partnership between HCLA and PPN brings together two respected groups in the medical liability reform debate to ensure that medical liability reform is included in any health care reform legislation considered by the U.S. Congress.

"HCLA's strategic partnership with Protect Patients Now ensures that a comprehensive and coordinated strategy will be advanced to fix our nation's broken medical liability system," said HCLA Chair Mike Stinson of the Physician Insurers Association of America.

"There is strong agreement from the President, and both Democrats and Republicans in the Congress, that the current medical liability system does not work for patients. The new partnership between HCLA and DMLR brings together major healthcare organizations and hundreds of thousands of patients and physicians across the nation to ensure that health care reform addresses this important issue in a way that works for everyone, especially the patients," Stinson said.

Medical lawsuit abuse drives good doctors out of the practice of medicine, leaving patients without the care they need -- especially in states without effective medical liability reforms. Further, the fear of being sued causes physicians to subject their patients to tests and procedures they may not need, driving up medical costs. Comprehensive health care reform can only be achieved if it includes reforms to the medical liability system.

Joining Mike Stinson on the recently elected Executive Committee of the HCLA is Vice-Chair Katie Orrico of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and members George Cox of the American Medical Association and Shawn Martin of the American Osteopathic Association.
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