FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Bill G. Smith at (608) 255-6083
or Kevin R. Walter at (614) 221-4107
Medical malpractice suits significant cost driver in escalating health insurance premiums
The state director of the small-business group NFIB/Wisconsin, Bill G. Smith, made the following statement following the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s ruling striking down caps in medical malpractice non-economic damage suits:
Madison, July 14, 2005 – “In 1995, the Wisconsin legislature took positive action to control escalating health insurance costs with the passage of reasonable caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. Today’s ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court striking down those caps compounds small-business owners’ ability to provide quality, affordable health-care coverage for themselves, their employees and their families.
“NFIB members have consistently cited the escalating cost of health insurance as their number one concern, and we are fearful that today’s ruling will have a substantial negative impact on health insurance premiums. We are reviewing the decision and will work with the legislature to address concerns raised by the court that will restore common sense reform to a legal system that often contributes to the high cost of health insurance and availability of health care in Wisconsin.”
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The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the nation’s largest small-business advocacy group. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its 600,000 members in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. For more information on NFIB/Wisconsin, visit www.NFIB.com/WI.
