In This Issue...
An Open Letter from Gov. Perry
Key Dates to Remember
4 Reasons to Vote Yes on 12
5 Things You Can Do to Save Our Health Care System
An Open Letter from Gov. Perry
My Fellow Texan:
On Saturday, September 13, Texas voters have a historic opportunity to heal the practice of medicine in the state of Texas.
By voting “yes” on Proposition 12, Texans can reduce liability costs for doctors and hospitals, help make health care more affordable and accessible for Texas families and employers, and encourage health care professionals to practice in Texas’ urban, border and rural communities.
Your support is critical to overcoming the well-financed opposition of personal injury trial lawyers who are mounting an unprecedented, multimillion dollar campaign to preserve the status quo.
The status quo is bad for Texas patients. Pregnant women often struggle to find an obstetrician to deliver their newborn children. Patients injured in trauma accidents are losing access to surgical specialists who have been forced out of practice. Neurosurgeons are being dropped from insurance policies – often not because of any negligence on their part, but because questionable lawsuits and excessive non-economic damages are increasing the cost of medical liability insurance.
The Legislature took a historic step to protect patients and the practice of medicine by reining in non-economic damages in medical cases. I was proud to sign those reforms into law. Passage of Proposition 12 will validate the Legislature’s effort to bring fairness and balance to healthcare lawsuits.
Frivolous lawsuits against doctors are harming patients because some doctors are choosing not to practice medicine because of skyrocketing medical liability premiums. Proposition 12 will hold down the cost of liability insurance, which will allow more doctors to remain in practice and provide medical care for those who need it.
Truly injured Texans will continue to have access to fair compensation under this new law, including unlimited economic damages for lost wages or medical expenses. But finally our many dedicated health care professionals – our doctors, nurses and hospital administrators – will be able to spend more time examining patients, and less time being cross-examined in the courtroom.
I strongly encourage you to join the broad and diverse grassroots effort that has been mobilized to protect healthcare in Texas – “Yes on 12.” Make sure your places of business or medical facilities have voter registration cards and literature supporting Proposition 12. And please consider contributing to this effort so that the multi-million dollar media offensive being planned by the trial lawyers is effectively countered.
The only way to truly protect Texas patients, and ensure access to affordable health care, is to vote “yes” on Proposition 12. I look forward to working with healthcare professionals, business leaders and involved citizens to protect and preserve health care in Texas.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Rick Perry
Governor of Texas
Key Dates to Remember
August 14: Last Day to Register to Vote
August 27: Early Voting Begins
September 5: Last Day to apply for ballot by mail
September 9: Last Day of Early Voting
September 13: Election Day – Vote “YES” on 12
4 Reasons to Vote Yes on 12
- Makes medical care more affordable. Patients and employers spend less money on medical care when doctors and hospitals spend less on liability insurance.
- Restores confidence in and improves accessibility to our health care system. Medical lawsuit reform enables more doctors and hospitals to stay in business by limiting excessive damages.
- Caps ONLY non-economic damages in cases against doctors at $250,000. There would be no limit on actual or economic damages.
- Holds down liability insurance costs. By reining in excessive multi-million dollar judgments, doctors will pay less for insurance.
5 Things You Can Do to Save Our Health Care System
- Vote “Yes” on Prop 12 on Saturday, September 13th.
- Talk to your friends, family, colleagues, and employees about voting “Yes” on 12.
- Drop an e-mail supporting Prop 12 to everyone on your e-mail list.
- Send a note to friends without e-mail about the need to pass this measure.
- Remind everyone on Friday, September 12th to vote “Yes” on 12 the next day.
