a letter opposing SB 1028 - Connecticut State Medical Society
May 4, 2015 To the distinguished members of the Connecticut State Senate, On behalf of a statewide coalition of healthcare stakeholders, we respectfully request that you oppose Senate Bill 1028 An Act Concerning the Tolling of the Statute of Limitations for a Negligence Claim Brought by a Minor. SB 1028 would dramatically increase the burden on all Connecticut healthcare providers, including physicians. Extending the time from two years to eight years leaves providers open to increased liability and drives up costs related to liability coverage. Current law provides only limited protections for physicians and other healthcare providers, making our state one of the nation’s costliest for medical liability insurance coverage. SB 1028 will exacerbate this problem, leading to increased medical liability costs, including increased costs of maintaining “tail coverage.” This will significantly drive up the cost of care, yet it does nothing to improve quality or expand access. SB 1028 would make practicing in Connecticut prohibitively expensive for many physicians, and potentially would drive many out of practice or out of state. Connecticut should not consider this legislation without a thorough evaluation of ALL the factors involved in the medical liability system which affect cost, quality of patient care and access to medical care. We believe that it is unfair for healthcare providers, including physicians, to allow individuals to have a chance to claim malpractice several years after their parent/guardian opted not to pursue legal action at the time of the incident. With so many current cases resulting in no finding of guilt or settling to avoid costs of litigation, extending the statute of limitations would open healthcare providers up to the possibility of more nuisance suits brought by those who seek to unfairly “cash in” on the system. Connecticut’s healthcare environment is already a huge challenge for physicians and other providers: practice costs continue to escalate, reimbursements for healthcare services continue to shrink, and healthcare carriers hold an unfair market advantage in their contracts and network oversight. SB 1028 would be just the most recent way CT would be making it unattractive for physicians to practice here, while making it more difficult to ensure high quality healthcare for patients. We strongly urge you to oppose this legislation for the cost burden it would impose, the liability it would create, and the overall message it sends to Connecticut’s healthcare providers and their patients. Respectfully signed, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Connecticut Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics, Connecticut Chapter American College of Cardiologists Connecticut Chapter American College of Surgeons, Connecticut Chapter American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Connecticut Chapter Bristol Hospital Connecticut Business and Industry Association CMIC Connecticut Academy of Family Physicians Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants Connecticut Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers Connecticut Association of Nurse Anesthetists Connecticut Association of Optometrists Connecticut Chiropractic Association Connecticut College of Emergency Physicians Connecticut Dental Hygienist Association Connecticut Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery Society Connecticut Ear Nose and Throat Society Connecticut Hospital Association Connecticut Medical Group Management Association Connecticut Naturopathic Physicians Association Connecticut Nurses Association Connecticut Orthopaedic Society Connecticut Podiatric Association Connecticut Psychiatric Society Connecticut State Dental Association Connecticut Society of Eye Physicians Connecticut Society of Plastic Surgeons Connecticut State Medical Society Connecticut State Society of Anesthesiologists Connecticut Urology Society Coverys Fairfield County Medical Association Hartford County Medical Association Hartford Healthcare Litchfield County Medical Association Middlesex County Medical Association New Haven County Medical Association New London County Medical Association Property Casualty Insurers Association of America Radiological Society of Connecticut Sharon Hospital Tolland County Medical Association Waterbury Medical Association Windham County Medical Society Women’s Health Connecticut
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