For Immediate Release

October 27, 2005

GILL SEES PROGRESS IN MEDICAL MALPRACTICE REFORM

TRENTON - Senator Nia H. Gill, the Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, today noted that the $11,000 payouts this week to about 1,200 doctors in three key specialty fields marks A tangible progress in the States effort to reform medical malpractice insurance laws.

A The goal was to put New Jersey patients first by ensuring their access to the very best medical professionals possible, said Senator Gill, D-Essex and Passaic . A To a considerable extent, I believe tangible progress has been realized toward reaching that goal.

The medical malpractice insurance reform law enacted last year raised millions of dollars to help specialty field physicians pay for malpractice insurance by assessing a $75 surcharge on doctors, lawyers, dentists and chiropractors and by a $3 per worker charge to all employers.

A This is a responsible reform because it shares the burden despite some qualms from the legal community about its required assistance to doctors, she said. A Still, it cannot be denied that a subsidy of $11,000 is a significant first step in helping certain at-risk doctors pay their malpractice insurance bills.

In the first year of the three-year program, doctors receiving the estimated $13 million in subsidies are obstetric gynecologists, neurosurgeons and radiologists who do mammograms. Supporters said the fund also provided nearly $7 million in additional charity care grants to hospitals, $1.2 million for health insurance for poor pregnant women and $1 million for ob-gyns who practice in under-served areas.

A A critical component for a doctor to qualify for a subsidy check was a commitment to continue practicing medicine in New Jersey for the next two years, Senator Gill said. A By providing stability and accessibility for patients, we can assess the new law and determine where improvements may be justified.

Senator Gill said the Senate Commerce Committee would monitor the new reform law while it reviews a host of additional health care insurance proposals in the coming months.