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Caring for patients is the paramount duty for doctors. We all rely on the medical community to be there for us.
But skyrocketing medical liability insurance premiums are putting financial pressures on many of our doctors in Washington. This threatens our access to vital services, such as obstetrics and emergency room care.
That's why we introduced proposals this session to accomplish three important goals:
The legislative session concludes next week, and we need to adopt a package of bills that will accomplish these three goals.
Many measures have been passed in House and Senate committees. Collectively, these measures will help contain malpractice insurance costs. Specific budget proposal provisions are also supportive of our goals.
Quote of the Week “Together, we will find the best way to control the cost of medical malpractice insurance and ultimately improve patient care.” -Governor Locke, March 3, 2004 |
The legislative measures under consideration include:
These are solutions we can adopt now, without amending the state Constitution.
My supplemental budget proposal includes a 29 percent Medicaid reimbursement rate increase for obstetricians and family practitioners who deliver babies. The budget also includes an 85 percent increase in payments for treatment performed by emergency room doctors.
These increases will help doctors pay their malpractice premiums and other increasing costs. Helping these doctors will ensure that these critical services remain available across the state. I am looking forward to working jointly with the House and Senate on these proposals.
We must do our best to protect patients. We also need to ensure that people can receive the medical attention that they need. We must make sure our medical community is there to provide care. The time to act on these issues is now.
Sincerely,
Gary Locke
Governor
Governor's Priorities |
Governor Locke urged the Legislature to enact a “modified Montana” primary system during his weekly news conference on March 3. The state Senate passed Senate Bill 6453 on March 2, the so-called “modified blanket primary,” modeled after the Louisiana system. “The Louisiana primary will result in endless litigation and decreased voter choice and participation,” the Governor said. “The Senate missed an opportunity to adopt a system that avoids all the problems of the Louisiana primary. A modified Montana system would be a far superior option.”
The “modified Montana” system, developed by both Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature, would not require voters to register with a party to participate in the primary election. Unaffiliated voters may choose any major party ballot during the election. Voters registered with a major party will receive only that party's ballot. “The modified Montana system maintains voter independence and choice,” the Governor said. “It protects the political parties' First Amendment right of association. And we are confident that it can be properly administered.”
Conserving and Cleaning Washington WatersThe WSA (formerly known as the Washington Software Alliance) recognized Governor Locke as a “Friend of Technology” at its awards ceremony February 26. The award lauded the Governor for his “stellar and longstanding support of the technology industry” and his leadership in digital government. WSA also recognized the state Department of Information Services Small Agency Initiative and the Department of Agriculture with finalist positions in the prestigious Industry Achievement Awards. The award recognizes outstanding achievements in digital government. The WSA is the state's oldest and largest technology trade association. The state of Washington is recognized nationally for its leadership in digital government.
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