WASHINGTON, April 11, 2013 -- The Health Coalition on Liability and Access today endorsed legislation introduced in the House of Representatives that will curb medical lawsuit abuse and help ensure continued patient access to care.

The Standard of Care Protection Act (H.R. 1473), a bipartisan bill introduced by Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX), is the first piece of legislation in the House of Representatives in the 113^th Congress to address our nation's broken liability system.  It ensures that no provisions of federal health care law may be inappropriately used to create new threats for medical liability litigation in the United States.

"I am pleased to be able to endorse the Standard of Care Protection Act," HCLA Chair Mike Stinson wrote in a letter of support to Cuellar and Gingrey. "This legislation will help ensure that provisions of law regarding federal health care programs are not used, outside their intended purpose, to create new standards of care for medical liability lawsuits."

"This legislation will help alleviate those concerns amongst health care providers, and will reassure patients that steps have been taken to ensure that their access to care is not inadvertently limited," Stinson added.

To read the full letter from the HCLA to Congressmen Gingrey and Cuellar, visit www.ProtectPatientsNow.org.

The Health Coalition on Liability and Access is a national advocacy coalition representing physicians, hospitals, health care liability insurers, employers, health care providers and consumers. HCLA believes federal legislation is needed to bring fairness, timeliness and cost-effectiveness to America's medical liability system. For more details, visit www.ProtectPatientsNow.org .