FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
March 20, 2007
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Laurie Peacock, 312-580-6497
(cell) 312-608-3620
John Maszinski, 312-580-6440
2005 MEDICAL LIABILITY REFORMS INTEGRAL TO KEEPING DOCTORS IN ILLINOIS, ACCORDING TO NEWLY RELEASED REALITY MEDICINE UPDATE
Chicago, Illinois —Further illustrating how critical the 2005 medical liability reforms are to keeping doctors in Illinois and to assuring continued patient access to medical care, the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) and ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company today released Reality Medicine: Keeping Doctors in Illinois, which gives an updated overview of Illinois’ medical litigation climate. The publication is available for review and downloading at www.realitymedicine.com.
“Reality Medicine presents a snapshot of out-of-control medical litigation and its damaging impact on the Illinois health system,” said ISMS President Peter E. Eupierre, M.D. “It also explains how the reasonable cap on non-economic damage awards is the most important component of the comprehensive reform law enacted in 2005.”
“Caps are the central cure for healing our broken court system, despite what others might say,” said ISMIE Mutual Board Chairman Harold L. Jensen, M.D. “A major falsehood continuing to circulate is that insurance regulation – not caps – will deliver more reasonable premiums. Regulation alone will not fix the problems facing Illinois’ medical liability insurance market. Burdensome regulation will only drive insurers away.”
Some highlights of Reality Medicine include: How caps have worked in other states like California and Texas and why they will work in Illinois, latest activities of medical liability insurers since 2005, facts debunking recent “expert” reports, and answers to commonly asked questions regarding the Illinois medical liability environment.
Reality Medicine is backed by a partnership of ISMS and ISMIE Mutual, two organizations with a long history of working together on behalf of Illinois doctors and the patients for whom they care. For more than 160 years, ISMS has vigorously advocated for the betterment of public health. Now celebrating its 30 th anniversary, ISMIE Mutual is wholly owned by its physician policyholders. The company was founded by the members of ISMS and is the largest medical liability insurer of Illinois physicians.
ISMIE Mutual Insurance Company is the largest insurer of medical liability for Illinois physicians. Since the company’s inception in 1976, it has been policyholder-owned and operated. ISMS is a professional membership association representing 13,000 physicians practicing in all medical specialties statewide. Dr. Eupierre is an internal medicine specialist from Oak Brook. Dr. Jensen is an internal medicine specialist from Frankfort.