Protect Access to Quality Health Care and Patient Privacy OPPOSE THE MICRA MEASURE Here’s why a broad coalition of doctors, community health clinics, hospitals, local governments, public safety, business and labor opposes the proposed November ballot proposition that would make it easier and more profitable for lawyers to sue doctors and hospitals:
YOU MAY BE AWARE OF A TRIAL ATTORNEY-SPONSORED BALLOT MEASURE THAT WOULD UNDERMINE THE PROTECTIONS AFFORDED TO PATIENTS ACROSS CALIFORNIA AS PART OF THE MEDICAL INJURY COMPENSATION REFORM ACT (MICRA).
THIS NOVEMBER, these trial attorneys will ask voters to weigh
THE CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (CMA) has joined a
in on “The Troy and Alana Pack Patient Safety Act,” which
broad coalition of doctors, community health clinics, hospitals,
would make it easier and more profitable for lawyers to sue
local governments, public safety, business and labor to oppose
doctors and hospitals. This measure, according to California’s
the proposed November ballot proposition. Visit www.cmanet.
independent Legislative Analyst, could increase state and local
org/micra for more information about what CMA is doing in this
government malpractice and health care costs by “hundreds
fight and how to get involved.
of millions of dollars annually,” ultimately placing the burden of this additional cost on all of us. AS IT STANDS NOW, county and state hospitals have to pay medical malpractice awards out of the budgets they receive from
Community health care clinics, like Planned Parenthood, say this measure will raise insurance costs that will cause specialists, like OB/GYN’s to reduce or eliminate services to their patients.
taxpayers. If medical malpractice awards increase, government costs will increase too. Somebody has to pay, and that will be taxpayers through higher taxes and California citizens through higher health care costs.
NOT ONLY WOULD THIS MEASURE COST patients across the state, it’s a misleading measure intended to fool voters.
ADDITIONALLY, this measure would vastly increase the number
Written by trial attorneys, the measure makes it easier and
of lawsuits filed in California. That’s why the independent
more profitable for lawyers to sue doctors and hospitals —
Legislative Analyst says that county and state hospitals will see
even if that means higher health costs for the rest of us. Our
costs of tens of millions of dollars that taxpayers will have to
health laws should protect access to care and control costs for
pay.
everyone, not increase lawsuits and payouts for lawyers.
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MICRA > Protect Access
YOU’LL HEAR A LOT OF RHETORIC
patients. Finding doctors to deliver
OVER 1,000 GROUPS have joined
from the proponents of the measure
children in rural areas and community
together in support of MICRA and in
but really, this is another example of
clinics is already difficult and reducing
opposition to this dangerous, costly
special interest legislation trying to
services will make a bad situation worse.
measure. Be part of the effort to protect
fool the voters into thinking this about
patients by visiting
something that it’s not. The authors
www.cmanet.org/micra today!
of this proposal purposely threw in non- MICRA provisions, like drug testing doctors, to disguise the real intent, which is to increase the limits on medical malpractice awards so that trial lawyers make even more money. The main proponent of the measure was recently quoted in the LA Times, saying, “The drug rules are in the initiative because they poll well, and the backers figure that’s the way to get the public to support the measure. ‘It’s the ultimate sweetener.’” THIS MEASURE also requires a government database with personal information on patients’ prescription drug history. Hackers have already managed to access personal information from millions of Target customers and even the Pentagon, and another big database will only make our information more vulnerable. PHYSICIANS TAKE AN OATH to protect patients – and this dangerous initiative would put patients at risk of losing access to quality medical care. COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE CLINICS, like Planned Parenthood, say this measure will raise insurance costs that will cause specialists, like OB/GYN’s to reduce or eliminate services to their
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