I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2580 
To improve patient access to health care services and provide improved 
medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places 
on the health care delivery system. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 6, 2007 
Mr. GINGREY (for himself, Mr. DREIER, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. AKIN, Mr. 
SIMPSON, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mrs. 
DRAKE, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. WICKER, Mr. GARY G. MILLER of Cali-
fornia, Mr. MCCAUL of Texas, Mr. HELLER of Nevada, Mr. KLINE of 
Minnesota, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. RADANOVICH, Ms. GINNY BROWN- 
WAITE of Florida, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, 
Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. CARTER, Mr. MILLER of Flor-
ida, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. PITTS, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. PORTER, 
Mr. DENT, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. MACK, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. SAXTON, Mr. 
WILSON of South Carolina, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. CANNON, 
Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. KIRK, 
Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, 
Mr. CRAMER, Mr. BOREN, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. MCHUGH, 
Mr. BOUSTANY, Ms. FALLIN, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. HAYES, Mr. HOBSON, 
Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. ROSKAM, and Mr. WOLF) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve patient access to health care services and provide 
improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden 
the liability system places on the health care delivery 
system. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Help Efficient, Acces-
sible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 
2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
(a) FINDINGS.— 
(1) EFFECT
ON
HEALTH
CARE
ACCESS
AND 
COSTS.—Congress finds that our current civil justice 
system is adversely affecting patient access to health 
care services, better patient care, and cost-efficient 
health care, in that the health care liability system 
is a costly and ineffective mechanism for resolving 
claims of health care liability and compensating in-
jured patients, and is a deterrent to the sharing of 
information among health care professionals which 
impedes efforts to improve patient safety and quality 
of care. 
(2) EFFECT
ON
INTERSTATE
COMMERCE.— 
Congress finds that the health care and insurance 
industries are industries affecting interstate com-
merce and the health care liability litigation systems 
existing throughout the United States are activities 
that affect interstate commerce by contributing to 
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the high costs of health care and premiums for 
health care liability insurance purchased by health 
care system providers. 
(3) EFFECT
ON
FEDERAL
SPENDING.—Con-
gress finds that the health care liability litigation 
systems existing throughout the United States have 
a significant effect on the amount, distribution, and 
use of Federal funds because of— 
(A) the large number of individuals who 
receive health care benefits under programs op-
erated or financed by the Federal Government; 
(B) the large number of individuals who 
benefit because of the exclusion from Federal 
taxes of the amounts spent to provide them 
with health insurance benefits; and 
(C) the large number of health care pro-
viders who provide items or services for which 
the Federal Government makes payments. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to imple-
ment reasonable, comprehensive, and effective health care 
liability reforms designed to— 
(1) improve the availability of health care serv-
ices in cases in which health care liability actions 
have been shown to be a factor in the decreased 
availability of services; 
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(2) reduce the incidence of ‘‘defensive medi-
cine’’ and lower the cost of health care liability in-
surance, all of which contribute to the escalation of 
health care costs; 
(3) ensure that persons with meritorious health 
care injury claims receive fair and adequate com-
pensation, including reasonable noneconomic dam-
ages; 
(4) improve the fairness and cost-effectiveness 
of our current health care liability system to resolve 
disputes over, and provide compensation for, health 
care liability by reducing uncertainty in the amount 
of compensation provided to injured individuals; and 
(5) provide an increased sharing of information 
in the health care system which will reduce unin-
tended injury and improve patient care. 
SEC. 3. ENCOURAGING SPEEDY RESOLUTION OF CLAIMS. 
The time for the commencement of a health care law-
suit shall be 3 years after the date of manifestation of 
injury or 1 year after the claimant discovers, or through 
the use of reasonable diligence should have discovered, the 
injury, whichever occurs first. In no event shall the time 
for commencement of a health care lawsuit exceed 3 years 
after the date of manifestation of injury unless tolled for 
any of the following— 
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