The administration will tackle malpractice reform — which many conservatives have been calling for in the health care debate — away from the legislative process, with President Obama asking Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today to give grants to governments and organizations that develop alternatives to the current system.
“The President thinks we should do this right now,” Sebelius told reporters this morning, adding that reform can get done faster if it’s not part of the larger health care reform debate in Congress.
Sebelius has 30 days to announce grants to states, local governments and health care organizations for developing, practicing and evaluating alternatives to the current medical liability system, according to a memo the President sent today.
She said there’s never been a scientific look at what’s effective, only “anecdote battles” over the past 30 years. “A lot of states have bits and pieces of the puzzle,” she said.
The HHS department has had the power to support such demonstration projects since 1999. The President announced at his address to Congress last week that this program would start shortly.
The goal is to find a balance between lowering the cost of malpractice insurance for doctors and ending frivolous lawsuits while still allowing patients to seek compensation for medical errors.
Conservatives have touted “tort reform” as the best way to lower health care costs, and have accused the administration of being too close to trial lawyers.
