Lawmakers misdiagnosed our health care crisis in 2003 choosing to restrict the rights of patients instead of reining in costs and improving access. As a result, families devastated by medical negligence have been denied access to our courts. Instead of helping patients, the radical legal changes have left untold numbers of patients with few options.

Meanwhile, underserved areas remain underserved and health care costs continue to rise without any measurable improvements in outcomes or quality. Texas is still struggling with a shortage of primary care doctors—the federal government has designated 114 out of Texas’s 254 counties as primary-care shortage areas and 27 counties don’t have a doctor at all. More than 25% of Texans do not have health insurance, and health care in the state is ranked 46th in the nation according to the Commonwealth Fund, a healthcare foundation.

We can’t afford to continue risking the safety of Texas patients. Approximately 200,000 people die every year from preventable mistakes and hospital-acquired infections. The Texas Medical Board, the sole remaining oversight over a patient’s care, has a reputation for tolerating doctor misconduct. In 2009, out of the almost 7,000 complaints that the Board received, only 411 doctors faced any sort of discipline, and most of these received light penalties.

Texas families deserve real reforms that strengthen accountability measures and improve the quality and access of our health care.

Looking for tips and resources on patient and nursing home safety? We’ve compiled a collection of helpful information at our brand-new Patient & Nursing Home Safety Tips page.

Have you or someone you know been a victim of medical negligence? Please share your story with us.

What You Should Know

Texas Watch has created several informational documents that explain the background and effects of stripping patients’ rights:

• Texas-Style “Reform” Fails Patients: Costs Up, Access Down
• Restricting Patient Rights Does Not Lower Health Costs: Spending Increases Faster in Texas
• Background on the Cap in Texas
• Patient Protection Facts
• Why Are Caps on Damages Bad for Texas?
• Patient Justice: Patients Are Better Off in States Without Barriers to Justice
  TEXAS WATCH; January 2008
• The False Choice: Doctors or Accountability; The Real Impact of So-Called Tort “Reform” in Texas
  TEXAS WATCH; February 2007
• The Real Impact of the Cap: True Stories of Texans Devastated by Medical Negligence
  Read true stories about Texans whose lives have been destroyed by medical negligence but have no where to turn.