Dear Editor:
According to the American Medical Association, New Jersey is one of 12 states experiencing a medical malpractice insurance crisis since skyrocketing premiums have risen an average of 250 percent over the past three years. Doctors who practice in the state, particularly in high-risk specialties and obstetrics, have threatened to close their doors because of high insurance premiums.
In an effort to deal with this crisis head on, I am proud to support the “Patients First” plan sponsored by my colleagues in the Assembly Democratic Caucus. Elements of the 10-point plan include requiring greater state oversight if premiums increase or decrease by more than 25 percent, establishing a pre-suit discovery process to weed out frivolous law suits, revising the statute of limitations for at-birth injuries, and providing zero-interest loans to provide premium relief for doctors. The plan also would require expert witnesses in malpractice suits to have identical credentials as the defending doctor and would prohibit membership on a board of trustees or directors that would pose a conflict of interest.
Another key component of the Patients First plan, the New Jersey Health Care Consumer Information Act, would create a “know your doctor” database to provide information over the telephone or via the Internet regarding malpractice awards or settlements against a physician. The database would give patients important details about a physician’s background to make an informed decision whether or not to be in their care.
The Patients First plan must move through the Legislature expeditiously since an estimated 50 percent of doctors will face premium increases when they renew their malpractice insurance at the end of the year. It is a comprehensive plan that balances the competing interests of doctors, lawyers and insurers affected by the medical malpractice crisis. More importantly, it ensures that the malpractice crisis does not create a vacuum of health care services for patients.
Elba Perez-Cinciarelli
Assemblywoman, 31st District