Sample Letter - Premiums and Access

If you have a heart attack in the middle of the night, how certain are you that a doctor will be close enough to save your life? What is that worth to our community?
These are the real questions at the root of the medical malpractice reform discussion happening on Capitol Hill in Nashville.
As a practicing physician in [hometown], I have grave concerns that my patients will be best served if the current way we handle medical malpractice cases is allowed to stay in place.
A Tennessee Medical Association poll found 50 percent of our state’s physicians plan to stop or reduce the number of high-risk procedures they perform, while 25 percent say they may relocate to another state or seek other options, such as a practice merger, to be in a more physician-friendly environment.

INSERT PERSONAL STORY/DATA HERE IF APPLICABLE

Now is the time to restructure Tennessee’s medical malpractice system before we reach a crisis situation similar to Mississippi, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Skyrocketing insurance premiums in many states, including our neighbors in Georgia and Kentucky, are forcing physicians to cut back on services offered, particularly high-risk services, or leave the medical practice altogether.
In Kentucky, nearly one-fourth of specialists are considering leaving the state and one-third of Georgia OB/GYNs say they may stop providing high-risk care. Here in Tennessee, half of the doctors have indicated that they are considering cutting back on procedures that they perform due to the associated liability risks.
In California, a limit on non-economic damages has proven to keep medical liability insurance premiums three times lower than the national average. This is one proven solution to the problem.
Our state needs controls within the current system so physicians have access to affordable insurance coverage and can accept their professional responsibility for patient care.
The goal is simple: protect access to affordable and convenient health care services for all Tennesseans. As a physician, I want to continue to care for my patients, but I need the help of the legislature to be able to continue my work!