Local health care organizations in the central valley join growing opposition to prosecutor-funded voting measure and urge vote ‘no’ next November

FRESNO, California, 22 October 2021 / PRNewswire / – Today, local Central Valley healthcare organizations announced their opposition to the so-called “Injured Patients Fairness Act,” a medical malpractice lawsuit measure during the next year’s state poll that could reverse regional gains in access to health care by sharply increasing costs and reducing the care available in underserved communities. The groups join more than 300 opposition organizations, including community clinics, doctors, nurses, frontline workers and providers around the world. California.

As drafted, the measure would effectively eliminate California limits medical lawsuits by creating a new broadly defined category of malpractice lawsuits, resulting in further financial windfall for litigators, while costing the state and local communities hundreds of millions of dollars in increased health costs and increasing financial stress and provider shortages in communities, including many throughout the Central Valley The initiative is funded primarily by a single, wealthy out-of-state litigator who is personally likely to be further enriched by its adoption.

“FIPA would increase healthcare costs for patients and reduce access to healthcare in our region,” said Dr. Alan G. Kelton, MD, former president of the Fresno Madera Medical Society, representing 1,400 physicians from the two-county area. “We need more doctors for our health systems, and we cannot afford to lose providers due to clinic closures and doctors leaving the state. That’s why I urge you to vote NO on this dangerous measure. “

“Community clinics are the backbone of this region, helping to ensure that our patients most in need have access to care,” said Paulo soares, CEO of Camarena Health, a Madeira County-a network of primary care providers and health centers, mainly serving low-income and underserved patients, including agricultural workers. “We are already operating with very thin margins and a measure like FIPA, which would cost our health care delivery system millions, forcing us to cut services and eventually eliminate some care altogether. That is why we are voting NO. on this measure next year. ”

In 2014, voters overwhelmingly voted no to Proposition 46, which would have made substantial changes to the state’s Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA). This measure goes far beyond what Prop. 46 would have made and the cost for California taxpayers would be much larger, as the Independent Office of Legislative Analysts (LAO) noted.

“This measure would likely have a wide variety of fiscal effects on state and local governments,” LAO said, adding that “Annual government costs probably range from a few tens of millions of dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars. ”

To learn more about Californians protecting patients and keeping healthcare costs down, visit protectmicra.org.

Advert paid by Californians to protect patients and contain healthcare costs, a coalition of doctors, dentists and insurers and healthcare providers. Committee Major funding of:
The Company of Doctors
California Medical Association
NORCAL Insurance Company
Funding details at www.fppc.ca.gov

SOURCE Californians to Protect Patients and Contain Health Care Costs

Related links

https://protectmicra.org/