Kasia Mulligan, the spokesperson for Patients Come First (PCF), a national healthcare reform organization, said the increase in medical litigation against healthcare industry organizations has created a shift away from research and patient care.
"The explosion of mass tort claims in recent years has forced many enterprises to shift resources toward defending themselves in court — often against meritless charges — and away from research and development efforts," Mulligan wrote in an op-ed for InsideSources.com. "For all but the biggest players in the healthcare system, they can choose to pay for lawyers or scientists — not both."
Mulligan explains that unnecessary litigation can block the research and implementation of new methods and treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and different cancers. It also causes a drain on hospital or research facility’s finances, leaving them less able to pursue research opportunities for patient treatments.
"Over the last decade, mass tort lawsuits have exploded in the U.S., with many cases being brought against companies operating in the healthcare sector,” Kasia Mulligan, national spokesperson for Patients Come First (PCF) said in a column on RealClearPolicy. “According to a Wall Street Journal news report, the number of federal civil cases increased almost a quarter from the year prior.”
Mulligan also described the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act's price-setting rules for prescription medications, which reduced the amount of time a new drug can be on the market before being impacted by price controls. These changes have led to a decrease in competition among drug companies and research facilities, as they choose to not pursue research and development on certain drugs because they are no longer guaranteed to recoup the high costs.
Mulligan has been the founder of her own consulting firm, Elevated Navigation, LLC, as well as an executive with several D.C.-based communications firms, according to her LinkedIn profile. She previously worked as communications director for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and as manager of external affairs for the American Enterprise Institute.
The PCF website says it will “strive to put patients at the forefront of healthcare” through “advocacy, science, education, and collaboration” on issues including prescription drug payments and discounts, co-pay assistance, government drug price negotiations, and the federal 340b drug discount program, among others.
