Keyvote on the “HEALTH Act of 2002”

On behalf of the nearly 300,000 members of Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE), I urge you to vote YES on H.R. 4600, the “HEALTH Act of 2002.” Litigation is taking a heavy toll on the health care in America, both in terms of patient care and the costs that lawsuits impose on the system. Lawsuits have limited the availability of health care and have led many doctors to engage in “defensive medicine,” where doctors require a battery of tests and consultations simply to establish the basis of a defense in the case of a lawsuit. Not surprisingly, the additional procedures increase the costs of health care in America, as do rising insurance premiums, which lead to higher fees for health care services. A tort system is necessary for resolving accidental harms, but in the current tort system in the United States, awards are too arbitrary and uncertain to establish the correct incentives for avoiding harmful activities. HR 4600 would help to eliminate frivolous lawsuits while insuring that real victims are compensated for their losses.

CSE will count this as a KEY VOTE to be reported to our members in your state. This KEY VOTE will be used to determine your eligibility for our Jefferson Award, to be presented at the conclusion of the 107th Congress. This award is provided to those legislators that espouse the CSE principles of limited government, lower taxes and more freedom.

Sincerely,

Paul Beckner,

President and CEO