maintaining patient access

MICRA increases access to healthcare by keeping doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers in practice and hospitals and clinics open.

Every 1 percent increase in healthcare costs would result in at least 30,000 Californians losing their coverage. Changing MICRA's cap on non-economic damages would reduce the availability of healthcare, especially for the most vulnerable Californians, and increase the number of Californians without health insurance.

States like California with lower medical malpractice premiums tend to have more doctors per capita, including surgeons and specialists.

JAMA, June 1, 2005

MICRA has not only prevented the loss of thousands of healthcare providers but has also helped encourage new doctors to practice here. According to the American Medical Association, nearly half of all medical students decide where to begin their careers based significantly on the cost of malpractice coverage.

Attachments:

• Study examines impact increasing MICRA's cap would have on cost of and access to healthcare (Hamm/Wazzan) (pdf)