GOP: Health bill doesn't rein in lawsuits

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (UPI) -- A healthcare reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives doesn't rein in medical malpractice lawsuits, a Republican Party spokesman says.

Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., said Saturday in the GOP's weekly radio and Internet address that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., blocked Republicans' "common sense" healthcare reform ideas, such as tort reform, while passing a Democratic-backed proposal that will only result in higher taxes.

"We could start lowering costs by reining in lawsuits in America," Kirk said. "We are the most litigious country on Earth. Lawsuit reforms can save billions in healthcare costs alone."

Kirk, sounding other GOP healthcare reform themes, also called on Congress to allow cross-state purchasing of health plans and to give states the opportunity to test healthcare reform experiments.

"The bill opens a new trillion-dollar entitlement just as our national debt tops $12 trillion," Kirk said. "Ignoring the future needs of Social Security and Medicare, the bill creates a new massive spending program, supported by heavy taxes and cuts to senior healthcare."