MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009 1:26 pm

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) wants to see details and more compromise in the health care debate, after President Barack Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night.

“This morning, I have asked the White House for the timeline as to when the details of the plan the President announced last night will be available,” Corker said this morning. “No serious debate can take place without details and language and I am anxious to see the full text of the legislation the President described last night.”

Obama laid out his plans for overhauling the nation’s health insurance system Wednesday night, including a call for bi-partisan cooperation.

“President Obama said … that we must bring the best ideas of both parties together,” Corker said. “I hope what he means is that he will put aside divisive ideas like a government-run health care plan, so we can give the American people a truly bipartisan solution that can pass the common sense test and stand the test of time.”

But Obama didn’t push aside the idea of a government-run health insurance option in his speech, but he didn’t insist on the idea either.

“An additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange …,” Obama explained.

“It would only be an option for those who don't have insurance,” he continued. “No one would be forced to choose it, and it would not impact those of you who already have insurance.”

One topic that played well among Republicans and moderate Democrats was medical malpractice tort reform.

“I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I've talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs,” the president said. “So I'm proposing that we move forward on a range of ideas about how to put patient safety first and let doctors focus on practicing medicine.”

He then suggested following the Bush Administration’s path of running pilot programs in a number of states to test different ideas to reduce malpractice cost.

“I think it's a good idea, and I'm directing my Secretary of Health and Human Services to move forward on this initiative today,” Obama said.

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Murfreesboro), for one, was pleased with this approach to curbing medical costs.

“I believe medical malpractice reform could significantly reduce the number of frivolous lawsuits and encourage doctors to abandon the practice of defensive medicine,” Gordon said, explaining many doctors practice defensive medicine to avoid malpractice lawsuits and in turn drive up the cost of medical care.

“Defensive medicine, estimated to cost $210 billion each year, is one of the largest sources of wasteful spending in the U.S. health care system,” Gordon said.

Gordon introduced legislation in June that provides incentive payments to states that adopt effective “Certificate of Merit” or “Early Offer” programs that reduce frivolous lawsuits and provide alternatives to going to court.

“Moving forward, I believe medical malpractice reform has to be part of any health care reform bill that Congress passes and the President signs,” Gordon said.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.