Malpractice lawyers feast on bloated bills. You pay the price.

Punitive malpractice damages reward lawyers, harm patients. Tell Congress Fix It! Retweet

By Perry Willis & Jim Babka

We’re launching another new campaign, our latest healthcare reform proposal. The hardwired message for this new campaign reads…

Reduce healthcare costs by ending punitive malpractice damages

You can copy or edit this sample text for your personal letter {link expired} to Congress…

Punitive damages increase the malpractice premiums doctors pay. We Americans have lost thousands of doctors because of these high costs.(1)

Fewer doctors means higher prices for both medical care and health insurance — longer wait times too.

A judgment of malpractice is punishment enough. The doctor has to pay for the harm done to the patient. The judgment goes on a doctor’s record. It could end his or her career or reduce the number of patients he or she has. There’s no reason to pile on punitive damages.

Punitive damages do nothing to reduce malpractice. Quite the contrary — they encourage doctors to order unnecessary tests. Limiting judgments to actual damages will…

* Decrease the cost of malpractice insurance
* Increase the supply of doctors
* Reduce the number of unnecessary procedures

Those three changes mean Americans will enjoy reduced…

* Healthcare costs
* Insurance premiums

Most people understand this, but reform has been impossible because trial lawyers have too much influence in Washington. I want you to represent me, NOT the legal cartel. (2)

(1) http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/14/news/economy/health_care_doctors_quitting/index.htm
(2) http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/01/money-from-trial-lawyers-groups-flowing-to-democrats.html

— END OF SAMPLE LETTER–

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Thanks for being an ACTIVE DC Downsizer,

Perry Willis & Jim Babka
Downsize DC

PS: We’re using the old Educate the Powerful system for a bit longer. We’re focused on the new website which is being tested now! So if one of your Reps or Senators is not up-to-date, please hit Reply and let us know.

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