Legislative Affairs

The TMA Alliance works closely with the Tennessee Medical Association to influence state and national legislators in support of issues that affect the practice of medicine and legislation that improves the health and well-being of our citizens.

Medical Liability Reform

Our Alliance has been asked by TMA to make Medical Liability Reform (MLR) its number one legislative activity this year. The TMA bill takes a comprehensive approach by:

Capping non-economic damages at $250K
Providing for a sliding scale for lawyers so patients receive a higher share
Requiring a pre-filing certification by an expert witness

Why does TMA want reform?

To maintain and protect access to care for our patients
To enhance the physician supply in our state and eliminate the need for good doctors to move or retire early
To lower overall health care costs by reducing lawsuit abuses
To help those who are injured to receive payments faster and ensure that patients, not lawyers, actually receive the awards.

How is TMA Alliance involved?

Each county alliance has been asked to choose a contact person from its membership to be on the MLR Steering Committee for its county medical society.

The first order of business for the contact person is to assist in RAISING FUNDS for the MLR campaign.
Secondly, the alliance contact person will help coordinate placement of PATIENT ADVOCACY materials in physicians’ offices in the county.
Thirdly, everyone in the alliance can encourage physicians, family members, patients, and other individuals to attend TMA TUESDAY VISITS to the CAPITAL. One Tuesday per month in February, March, and April, a busload of physicians, spouses, and members will attend committee meetings at Legislative Plaza in Nashville and hold individual legislative meetings.

TMA will have a strong lobbying force in place in January 2007 if our fundraising efforts are successful. TMA is also generating more activity and involvement from patients since MLR is an access-to-care issue for patients. This is an exciting strategic plan with the TMA Alliance helping TMA achieve the goal of medical liability reform.

IMPACT

IMPACT is the bi-partisan political action committee that supports policy makers and state legislators who are physician friendly and who are allies of organized medicine. In contrast, IMPACT plans to defeat those incumbents who introduce negative legislation that is against good healthcare in Tennessee. Alliance membership is $100, physician membership is $300, Capitol Hill Club is $1000. Please mail check to:

IMPACT, 2301 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212.

Paying monthly by credit card is also available.

Read more about IMPACT