On April 20, the AMA urged the National Governors Association to support removing obstacles to preserving and expanding the physician workforce during the current public health emergency.
The AMA warned that some federal state and local directives related to COVID-19 could pose potential liability risks to physicians. This vulnerability remains an obstacle to physicians seeking to fill workforce gaps during the COVID-19 pandemic. To remove this barrier, the AMA asked the Governor members of the NGA to adopt health care emergency response protections to support physicians willing to risk their own health and safety in the care of COVID-19 patients.
The AMA letter noted that many states have already taken action through executive order or state legislation to provide temporary liability protections to physicians and others providing care to COVID-19 patients. The AMA suggested that actions by the governors of Connecticut and New York can serve as models for other states.
To download a PDF copy of the letter, click here.
PAMED sent their own letter to Governor Wolf on April 14 regarding medical liability during the pandemic. You can view the letter here.
