Your Vote Can Save Lives
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.
