A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate last month could clear the way for out-of-state physicians to be able to lend their skills to the victims of federally declared disasters, preventing a repeat of the New Orleans catastrophes of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita when medical volunteers were turned away as the result of vague liability and licensing laws.
Under current law, crossing state lines to provide medical care as a physician volunteer can raise questions about licensure and medical liability. In the case of the 2005 disaster in Louisiana, that meant thousands of physicians were turned away from helping those in need.
“The medical profession has a long history of stepping forward to assist disaster victims,” James L. Madara, MD, AMA executive vice president and CEO, states in a letter of support to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ark., who introduced the bill. “Thousands of physicians volunteered in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to help the victims with their medical needs. Unfortunately, needed medical volunteers were turned away due to confusion and uncertainty about the application of Good Samaritan laws.”
A version of the “Good Samaritan” bill was introduced last year in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and has been referred to committee. The AMA sent letters in support of the legislation to both chambers of Congress and will continue to advocate for this policy to be adopted as law.
