Malpractice Insurance Coverage Gaps Prevent Some Community Health Centers From Sending Personnel To Help Hurricane Survivors in Mi

Main Category: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 16 Sep 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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.The Health Resources and Services Administration late last week informed about 1,000 community health centers nationwide -- some of which have sought to provide primary care services to individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina -- that their medical malpractice insurance provided by the federal government does not cover them outside of their service areas, USA Today reports. Stephen Smith, senior adviser to the HRSA administrator, said that community health centers, which are partially funded by the federal government, can arrange with HHS to register staff as a group to expand their malpractice insurance under the Federal Tort Claim Act. Private-sector medical professionals who volunteer in the region affected by the hurricane also can register with HHS to extend their malpractice insurance under the act. However, the American Hospital Association said that the process "can be slow" and "frustrating," USA Today reports. Joe Liszak, CEO of Ohio-based Community Health Services, said, "This is why people are aggravated with the federal government: People need help in our own country, and we can't take it to them because of this bureaucracy." AHA Senior Vice President James Bentley said similar problems occurred after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and previous natural disasters. "The federal government needs to recognize this is a repeated issue and adopt a general policy," Bentley said (Appleby, USA Today, 9/14).

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