MSDC and DC Physician Associations Urge Council to Limit Liability Exposure April 20, 2020
Written by MSDC Staff
MSDC and leading District medical societies today released a letter to the Council of DC urging them to adopt legislative language from New York and Massachusetts limiting health care provider liability during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The letter urged Chairman Phil Mendelson to adopt the legislative language used by Massachusetts to protect physicians from civil and medial liability during the COVID-19 public health emergency, with an exception for gross negligence. The DC medical community is concerned that delays in care due to the postponement of non-emergency procedures would open physicians and their offices to malpractice lawsuits if the delays caused adverse consequences. With many practices facing financial struggles, added worries about claims the physician could not avoid would compound worries about staying in business.
MSDC was joined on the letter by ACOG DC Section, ACP DC, DC Academy of Family Physicians, DC AAP, DC Society of Anesthesiologists, MD/DC Society of Clinical Oncology, MedChi DC, National Hispanic Medical Association, Washington DC Dermatological Society, and the Washington Psychiatric Society.