Legal Reform is a Boon for Health Care in Texas
We often hear about how legal reform has been a huge boost to the Texas economy, and it certainly has. But one thing we don’t hear often enough is how legal reform has expanded access to medical care for Texans.
As the Executive Vice President of Good Shepherd Health System in Longview, I can say without reservation that lawsuit reform has greatly enhanced the ability of hospitals across Texas to fulfill their commitments to their local communities. At Good Shepherd, the benefits of legal reform can be seen in myriad areas: it has resulted in a significant reduction of frivolous lawsuits and claims, and has allowed our organization to realize a substantial reduction in defense costs and indemnity payments.
What’s more, prior to legal reform, the costs of our professional liability insurance coverage were steadily increasing and was in excess of $1 million. Legal reform helped cut that in half, allowing more resources to be directed at patient care. Specifically, it allowed Good Shepherd to expand its neonatal intensive care unit, obtain and maintain a Level II Trauma designation, and recruit physician specialists essential to meet our community needs.
Without smart legal reforms, none of these things would be possible, and Texas would still be losing doctors at a frightening pace, leaving enormous regions of the state without badly-needed medical specialists. Before you vote, be sure your candidates know how beneficial smart legal reforms have been to Texas. We need leaders who will fight to protect and strengthen legal reform in Texas.
