PRINTER'S NO. 283
No. 57 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY BARD, FLICK, GODSHALL, SCHRODER, CLYMER,
BENNINGHOFF, RUBLEY, McILHINNEY, O'NEILL, PETRI, WATSON AND
BASTIAN, FEBRUARY 12, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 12, 2003
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Declaring a state of major emergency over the health care
2 crisis.
3 WHEREAS, Unfairly high verdicts have been awarded in medical
4 malpractice actions; and
5 WHEREAS, Premiums for medical malpractice insurance have
6 increased dramatically; and
7 WHEREAS, There are fewer insurers engaged in writing
8 insurance for medical malpractice; and
9 WHEREAS, Health care insurers are reducing reimbursements for
10 health care services; and
11 WHEREAS, These factors have placed physicians in this
12 Commonwealth in an untenable position, forcing them to reduce
13 services, leave this Commonwealth or leave the medical
14 profession; and
15 WHEREAS, The result is restricted access to health care for
16 the citizens of this Commonwealth; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
1 declare that restricted access to health care is a major
2 emergency threatening the citizens of this Commonwealth and that
3 the safety and welfare of the citizens of this Commonwealth
4 requires prompt amendment of the Constitution of Pennsylvania to
5 address this major emergency.
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