Healthcare Matters interviews U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson: How conservative principles can help fix our ailing healthcare system and help reduce malpractice insurance costs.

CHICAGO, Dec. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Healthcare Matters announced today that its video interview of U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC8) about how conservative principles contained in the Accessible Care by Curbing Excessive LawSuitS (ACCESS) Act of 2019, a comprehensive medical malpractice reform bill he sponsored, can reduce the cost of healthcare is available at HERE.

The ACCESS Act is modeled after proven reforms already in place in Texas, California and many other states around the country that have improved access to affordable healthcare by increasing the number of practicing physicians and reducing medical lawsuit abuse. It would ensure full and unlimited recovery of economic damages for past and future medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and other out-of-pocket expenses, but limit non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, to $250,000.

By enacting a reasonable statute of limitations for filing lawsuits, and limiting attorney fees, the ACCESS Act will ensure a speedier resolution to claims and that damage awards go to patients, not personal injury lawyers. Finally, the ACCESS Act protects the rights of states who have already enacted their own medical liability reforms or choose to do so in the future.

Recent estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that the provisions included in the ACCESS Act would reduce federal spending by about $14 billion over five years, and almost $50 billion over 10 years.

In the Healthcare Matters interview, Rep. Hudson argues these very needed medical liability reforms are in keeping with the Republican Party's conservative vision for the American healthcare delivery system. This could potentially lead to physicians paying much less for their medical malpractice insurance coverage.

"In our repeal and replace legislation last year, what we were trying to do is bring market forces to bear in healthcare," Rep. Hudson said. "Make the patient the decision-maker, and put more power in the hands of the patients. That's why conservatives, we support things like health savings accounts. That's why we support more transparency in billing. That's why we want to empower patients to make these decisions about what insurance do they need for themselves and their family. We can't overnight recreate the healthcare system, but we can make reforms that bring market forces to bear, which will preserve quality, but lower costs for individuals."

Healthcare Matters is sponsored by Cunningham Group, the medical malpractice insurance specialists.

SOURCE Healthcare Matters