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Rendell Teams with the Pew Charitable Trusts to Find Short-Term and Long-Term Solutions PHILADELPHIA: With the state facing a staggering and increasingly difficult healthcare crisis, Governor-elect Edward G. Rendell today announced the creation of a Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Crisis Task Force at a 10:30 AM press conference. Along with Rebecca W. Rimel, President of the Pew Charitable Trusts, Rendell announced the creation of a partnership designed to consolidate the various resources being utilized on investigating the issue. "The Pew Charitable Trusts is very pleased to offer our help to Governor-elect Rendell and his task force to prevent the duplication of efforts and pool our resources together in the best interest of Pennsylvanians," said Pew President Rebecca Rimel. The Task Force will consist of a broad cross-section of stakeholders including physicians, lawyers, insurance executives, organized labor, and the business community. Judge Abraham Gafni, a professor of law at Villanova University, will serve as chair of the Task Force and will work closely with Dr. William M. Sage, a nationally acclaimed health-law expert and the director of the $3.2 million Pew study. "Given the immediate crisis, I am asking all stakeholders to work together with my Task Force so that the Task Force can present to me an interim report that addresses both short-term and long-term solutions to this crisis within 60 days," Rendell said at the news conference. Governor-elect Rendell wants the task force to study proposals that will address possible solutions to the growing crisis in the near term. Specifically, the task force will consider: 1) implementing a six month suspension of the requirement for Mcare Fund payments to maintain licensing, while more permanent reform measures are undertaken; 2) creating a multi-state coalition to deal with the serious financial pressures created by Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement caps; 3) authorizing joint physician negotiation to give doctors more leverage to obtain fair terms and reimbursement from third party payers; 4) restructuring unfunded liabilities in the Mcare Fund to reduce the annual surcharge which will lead to lower physician insurance costs. Additionally, the Govemor-elect will work very closely with the Schweiker Administration on possible emergency legislative actions to take place before the end of the year. Rendell also plans to meet shortly with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to discuss a series of other short term proposals that may be enacted, if only on a temporary basis, to bring immediate relief to the problem. Ultimately, the Governor-elect expects consensus on a comprehensive reform measure that will include tort reforms, economic relief for physicians and vulnerable hospitals, and improved regulation for insurance and health care generally. Attachment: List of Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance Crisis Task Force members. *Partial Listing
ChairAbraham J. Gafni is a Professor at the Villanova University School of Law. Judge Gafni has previously served as an attorney for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Deputy District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia, and a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, where he served as Court Administrator of Pennsylvania. Trial Lawyers Cliff Haines is a partner with the law firm of Clifford E. Haines, Esquire, and a member of the law firm of Litvin, Blumberg, Matusow & Young. Mr. Haines is a former chancellor of the Philadelphia Bar Association and serves as a governor of the Pennsylvania Bar Association House of Delegates. Robert J. Mongeluzzi is a founder of the law firm of Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky, formerly served on the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's Board of Governors and is President-elect of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Bill Caroselli is partner in the law firm of Caroselli Beachler McTiernan and Condoy and is past President of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. Bernard Smalley is a partner in the law firm of Anapol, Schwartz, Weiss, Cohen, Feldman & Smalley and a former President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Smalley is also an Executive Committee member of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and a member of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. Tom Cooper is a partner in the law firm of Gilardi Cooper & Lomupo, the past President of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the President of the Allegheny County Bar Association. Gerald McHugh is a partner at the law firm of Litvin Blumberg Matuosow & Young. Defense Lawyers John Pumphrey is a litigator in the firm of Silverman Bernheim & Vogel, concentrating his practice in professional liability. Lawrence Silverman is the senior litigator at the law firm of Silverman Bernheim & Vogel, concentrating his practice in professional liability. Peter Hoffman is a shareholder in the law firm of McKissock and Hoffman, a fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. James R. Kahn is an attorney who represents medical providers at the Margolis Edelstein law frm and a former chair of the Philadelphia Bar Civil Committee. Deborah Olszewski is a partner at the law firm of Olszewski and Qninlinn and a member of the American and Allegheny Colleges of Trial Lawyers and has been a malpractice defense attorney for 20 years. Health Care Organizations Andrew Wigglesworth is the President of the Delaware Valley Healthcare Council, a membership organizations of approximately 150 hospitals and health systems in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Caroline F. Scanlan is President and CEO of The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). The Association represents and advocates for nearly 250 health systems and hospitals in Pennsylvania and the patients and communities served by those institutions. Pennsylvania Medical Society / Physicians Roger Mecum is Executive Vice President of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, which serves over 19,000 physician members across the Commonwealth. Dr. James Tayoun, Jr. is a vascular surgeon and Chairman of Surgery at St. Agnes Hospital. Nancy Roberts is the Chair of the Jefferson Health System and a practicing OB/GYN physician. Dr. Ana McKee Insurance Representatives Christopher Cashman is the Senior Vice President for Corporate and Public Affairs at Independence Blue Cross. Ross Bertossi is the Vice President for medical risk of ACE INA. Peter Leone Tom Gaudiosi Legislative Representatives Donna Malpezzi is a staff member for the Pennsylvania Senate Republican Caucus. C.J. Hafner is a staff member for the Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus. Mike Schwoyer is a staff member for the Pennsylvania House Republican Caucus. Ed Haines is a staff member for the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus. Labor Representative David H. Wilderman is the Assistant to the President of the AFL-CIO. Business Representative Dale High is the Chair of the Pennsylvania State Chamber of Commerce. BACK TO ARTICLE BACK TO INDEX |
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