government
GOP candidate Cain backs medical liability reform
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 14, 2011
Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said on Nov. 2 he would approve a repeal of the entire health system reform law, sign medical liability reform legislation under which losers pay the legal costs, change federal Medicaid funding into block grants and allow health insurance to be sold across state lines.
"We do not have a health care problem in America," Cain said, adding that the U.S. health system is the best in the world. "We have a health care cost problem in America."
Cain spoke about his health care platform on Nov. 2 to an audience of reporters and members of Congress at a Congressional Health Care Caucus forum hosted by Rep. Michael Burgess, MD (R, Texas). Cain met many members of Congress for the first time that day, including Dr. Burgess.
Cain said he would support replacing the health reform law with a measure by Rep. Tom Price, MD (R, Ga.), known as the Empowering Patients First Act. The measure would allow businesses to buy health insurance as a group, permit health plans to be sold across state lines and limit medical lawsuit noneconomic damages to $250,000, among other provisions.
Cain said he supports measures that put health care decisions in the hands of patients and physicians. Cain, a colon cancer survivor, said he received three rounds of chemotherapy and surgery for his cancer in nine months. "In some socialized medicine countries, you can't get a CT scan in nine months, let alone a surgery," he said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/11/14/gvbf1114.htm.
