You would be hard pressed to

find a single Georgian to disagree that the cost of healthcare is staggering.

This fact is evidenced by increases in health insurance premiums, higher

deductibles, more out of pocket expenses, less coverage, fewer employers

offering health insurance as a benefit and the ever increasing number

of uninsured citizens. What may not be so evident is the role in this

problem played by out of control medical liability lawsuits.

Georgia's lawsuit lottery

environment is directly costing citizens and seriously compromising the

affordability and availability of quality healthcare in our state.

As physicians are forced to

practice more and more defensive medicine, ordering extra tests or procedures

to protect themselves from litigation, the cost of healthcare continues

to skyrocket.

Defensive medicine adds $97.5

BILLION annually to the nation's hospital and physician services

and adds an estimated $28-48 BILLION annually to the costs of programs

like Medicare and Medicaid. Who pays for that? Taxpayers do!

According to a recent study

increased the annual cost to provide health insurance to workers by up

to $353 per employee and increased employees' contributions to their

employer-provided health insurance by up to $109 per employee. This same

report found that 2.7 million workers and their families were denied employer-provided

accident and health insurance because of the medical litigation crisis.

From a business standpoint,

not only are fewer employers offering health insurance benefits but this

crisis is also having a chilling effect on economic development. Georgia

is not a favorable environment for business due to the current system

of skyrocketing jury awards and frivolous lawsuits. The U.S. Chamber of

Commerce's report entitled, "Is Your State Blowing Business

Away," rated Georgia 39th as a state with a fair and reasonable litigation

system.

Georgia legislators have an

opportunity to abate this crisis with common sense reforms of the civil

justice system similar to those enacted in other states.

The single, best-documented

way to stabilize medical liability premiums is with a $250,000.00 limit

on non-economic damages. This does not limit payment for lost wages, medical

expenses, or any other economic loss for legitimately injured patients.

This reform has worked in 26 other states around the country and it is

sorely need in Georgia.

Without common sense civil

justice reforms healthcare costs will continue to skyrocket and the availability

of quality care will decline.

[The Medical Association of

Georgia has been promoting a better state of health for Georgia residents

for more than 150 years. Through its strong advocacy efforts, MAG is protecting

patients' ability to access quality medical care and is securing

a strong practice environment for Georgia physicians. For more information

about civil justice reform, visit our web site at www.mag.org.]