I received an e-mail this morning from Don Stewart, in the office of Kentucky Republican and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who takes issue with the characterization by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., that a stronger tort reform provision in the health care bill that just passed Congress would have done little to bring down health care costs, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
Here’s what Baucus said during remarks at the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce yesterday:
“There should be more robust tort reform in the legislation, but to be candid, that was just not in the cards,” he said. “My honest view is that tort reform is helpful, but it’s not quite as helpful as people like to think it is.”
Here’s what Stewart wrote this morning:
Despite Sen. Baucus’ assertion (mentioned in your piece), CBO found that tort reform would save $54 BILLION. Here’s what they said in December:
“CBO concluded that tort reform would lower costs for health care both directly, by reducing medical malpractice costs—which consist of malpractice insurance premiums and settlements, awards, and legal and administrative costs not covered by insurance—and indirectly, by reducing the use of health care services through changes in the practice patterns of providers. The agency estimated that enacting a package of proposals outlined in that letter would reduce federal budget deficits by about $54 billion during the 2010–2019 period.”
Stewart did not, however, dispute Baucus’ assertion that in order to keep Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley from negotiating bipartisan support for the health care bill over the summer, Baucus, “saw Mitch McConnell chew Chuck Grassley’s ear off until there was nothing left.”