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Letter to Senator Enzi in support of the Fair and Reliable Medical Justice Act

The Honorable Michael Enzi

United States Senate
379A Senate Russell Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001

Dear Senator Enzi:

On behalf of Business Roundtable, I write to applaud your introduction of the “Fair and Reliable Medical Justice Act,” a bill that provides a significant step forward in seeking ways to reform our nation’s medical liability system. Business Roundtable is an association of 160 chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with over $4.5 trillion in annual revenues and more than 10 million employees. Member companies provide health insurance coverage to more than 35 million Americans, including retirees.

Our health care system is in need of transformation. We must ensure that all Americans have access to affordable, quality health coverage. Rising health care costs are affecting America’s workers, consumers, employers and government, inhibiting job creation and hurting our ability to compete in global markets.

Business Roundtable members have invested significant time and expertise in the consideration of how to reform our health care system to improve access and quality for all Americans. Recently we released Health Care Principles for 2007, which recommend significant changes to Congress. In our principle on medical liability reform, we urge Congress to authorize pilot projects to evaluate alternative resolution of medical liability claims, including medical courts, alternative dispute resolution, and other efforts. Following these pilots, we recommend that Congress enact those that enhance the fair compensation of individuals who are harmed as a result of negligence by a provider of health care services.

Your bill, which provides demonstration grants to states to be used to test alternatives to health care litigation, is in keeping with our principles and provides a commendable step toward significant reform of a badly broken medical liability system.

We fully support your bill and urge Congress to pass it this year. We look forward to continuing to work with you and Congress to reform and improve our nation’s health care system for all Americans. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Maria Ghazal at (202) 872-1260 or mghazal@businessroundtable.org.

Sincerely,

John J. Castellani

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