AMC/NOMA Letter to Editor Underscores the Merits of SB 88

This week’s edition of Crain’s Cleveland Business featured President Paul Janicki MD’s letter to the editor, which was submitted in response to an earlier-published piece on Senate Bill 88, the AMC/NOMA-backed legislation mandating arbitration of medical liability claims that recently passed the Ohio Senate. In his letter, Dr. Janicki stressed that arbitration is a proven means of dispute resolution and a fair, efficient forum for claims evaluation with the potential to significantly reduce the costs and time involved for all parties. He countered the original article’s assertion that previous tort reforms and a “stabilization” of medical liability premiums were enough to offset the ‘crisis’ facing physicians in Ohio—“The reality is that Ohio doctors still pay some of the highest rates in the nation,” he said. “Even with reforms and a downturn in claims, the severity of damage awards continues to climb…This legislation could assist in bringing medical negligence cases to a quicker resolution in a more cost-effective manner.” The letter can be read in full at www.crainscleveland.com,   and a detailed reporting on SB 88 is featured in the July/August issue of the Cleveland Physician.