Seventy-four percent of Americans believe their access to quality healthcare is threatened because medical liability costs are driving physicians out of practice, according to a poll of 1,001 adults conducted by the Health Coalition on Liability and Access, a group dedicated to urging Congress to pass federal medical liability reform. The survey results also indicate that 64% of respondents believe that medical lawsuit abuse is one of the primary causes of soaring healthcare costs, and 76% favor a law placing reasonable limits on non-economic pain and suffering awards. The first week of May, the Senate will consider comprehensive medical liability reform legislation. The House has passed medical liability legislation 10 times since 1995, yet reform initiatives have repeatedly stalled in the Senate. Download summary survey results here.
