An Open Letter To Our Blog Readers:
Re: YES on Proposition 46
Dear LedgerLaw Blog Readers:
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, you can make a difference by voting YES on Prop 46.
Prop 46 will save lives. A vote of YES on Prop 46 will:
1. Require drug and alcohol testing of doctors just like airline pilots, bus drivers, and dozens
of other public safety professions. Why is that important? The California Medical Board
says experts estimate that nearly 1 in 5 doctors will abuse drugs or alcohol in their
lifetime.
2. Crack down on prescription drug abuse by requiring doctors to check the existing
database before prescribing powerful narcotics. Prescription drug abuse raises healthcare
costs — over $55 billion in 2007 alone. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office says YES
on Prop 46 could provide “significant” savings by requiring doctors to check the existing
database.
3. Provide access to justice for those harmed by medical negligence by adjusting the cap on
pain and suffering and wrongful death for inflation.
Preventable medical errors kill up to 440,000 Americans every year – it’s the nation’s third
leading cause of death behind only cancer and heart disease. The current cap on damages hasn’t
changed since 1975, while the cost of living has quadrupled over that time. Adjusting the cap for
four decades of inflation will hold doctors accountable for needless injuries and deaths caused by
medical negligence.
The insurance industry has vowed to spend over $60 million to defeat Prop 46. We are on the
side of the patients, not the insurance companies.
Please join us in voting YES on Proposition 46 & make a difference in the quality of treatment all medical patients will receive.
Best regards,
Emery Ledger
