Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies to Care Act of 2003-Motion to Proceed-Continued

HEALTHY MOTHERS AND HEALTHY BABIES ACCESS TO CARE ACT OF 2003-MOTION TO PROCEED-CONTINUED

Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I express my concern once again with the rising cost of medical liability insurance. Last July we debated this issue in the Senate, and unfortunately did not reach cloture on this important issue. Today we are limiting our debate on the issue to care for mothers and babies. We must protect a woman's access to obstetric and gynecological care to ensure healthy mothers and babies. The increasing cost of medical liability insurance is creating a patient access crisis because doctors are leaving the practice of medicine.

At Hardin County General Hospital in Savannah, TN, the OB/GYN left the hospital to go practice in another state because the insurance premium was too high. High medical liability insurance is one more reason it is difficult to recruit specialists to rural areas.

In 2002, the average net medical liability premium for an OB/GYN in Tennessee was $33,600. In 2003, the premium increased to $41,980, and in 2004, it increased again to $49,408. This is a 47 percent increase over the past 3 years. This sort of increased cost is not sustainable. I continue to be worried about who will deliver babies in my state.

I believe that S. 2061, the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act of 2004, will help protect access to care for mothers and babies in Tennessee. This bill will still allow unlimited economic damages, but it places a sensible cap on non-economic damages. I hope we reach cloture on the motion to proceed so that we can consider this very important legislation.