News Release

 

Latest COVID-19 Relief Proposal Would Mean Critical Liability Protections for Healthcare Professionals, Facilities


Rockville, MD, December 14, 2020— The Medical Professional Liability Association (MPL Association) President and CEO Brian K. Atchinson issued the following statement about the COVID-19 relief proposals that include liability protections for healthcare workers and facilities put forward earlier today by a bipartisan Congressional working group:

“With doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals stretched beyond their limits in this latest COVID-19 surge, we are gratified that lawmakers are taking action to protect those who have been serving so tirelessly and the facilities where they work. Along with the pressure those on the front lines face dealing with the pandemic, they find themselves not only at personal risk but exposed to professional liability for years to come. Federal action would be crucial given the current patchwork of state laws and executive orders that leave those responding on unequal footing depending on where they practice. At the same time, this plan allows that victims of gross negligence or willful misconduct may still be compensated for injuries they suffer.

The MPL Association urges Congress to move forward with this proposal. These protections honor the nation’s healthcare professionals and their self-sacrificing dedication by offering protection for them from the future threat of lawsuits at a time when they are providing care for a tsunami of patients under crisis conditions.”

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The MPL Association is the leading international association representing medical professional liability insurance companies, risk retention groups, captives, trusts, and other entities with a commitment to the quality delivery of healthcare. MPL Association members insure more than 2 million healthcare professionals around the world—doctors, dentists, nurses and nurse practitioners, and other healthcare providers—including more than two-thirds of America’s private practicing physicians. MPL Association members also insure 2,500 hospitals and 9,000 medical facilities.

Susan Beach

Vice President of Marketing & Communications

301.947.9000, ext. 1212

sbeach@MPLassociation.org