Malpractice reform still possible on state level
Although three doctors in Uniontown are looking to the federal government to provide medical malpractice insurance reform, there is still a possibility of meaningful reform occurring on the state level. Three Bucks County Republican legislators Reps. Paul I. Clymer, Charles T. McIlhinney Jr. and Katharine M. Watson, are seeking to force Gov. Mark S. Schweiker to call a special session on the issue this year.
Locally, State Rep. Larry Roberts, D-South Union, said he hasn’t yet been asked to sign the petition seeking the special session, but he will sign it if he is asked.
“I’ve not been approached but if they ask me to sign, I will,” Roberts said. The legislature has been on summer break since July and regular session resumes early next month.
Roberts, who earlier emerged as a leader on the issue of tort reform, said Tuesday that he previously called for a special legislative session on the malpractice insurance reform issue. That special session fell by the wayside when the legislature passed two bills dealing with the issue.
He said a special legislation session is good because lawmakers concentrate only on the one issue.
Roberts said no one was happy with the first bill, but noted that the second piece of legislation may provide tort reform down the road.
Earlier this year, two orthopedic doctors, Dr. Thomas B. Jones Jr. and Dr. Phillip J. Spinuzza, left the state due to a lack of reform. As of Nov. 1, three OB/GYN doctors, Dr. Lawrence J. Glad, Dr. John A. Sunyecz and Dr. Christine B. Wilson, will stop providing obstetric services and will limit their practice to gynecological services.
Paul Bacharach, CEO of the Uniontown Hospital said unless reform is enacted, things will continue to get worse.
Roberts said the problem is not limited to Fayette County as there are doctors leaving all across the state. Roberts said although something needs to be done, nobody seems to know the answer.