Incremental approach: Sen. Frist vows continued push for liability reform; 'I'm going to come at it again and again.'.(News)

WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) has vowed to bring some version of medical liability reform legislation up for a vote every other month--until he gets it passed.

"What I'm giving [physicians] is a platform every 2 months where you can come back and lobby, where you can talk to your patients, where you can go on the radio, where you can educate your local community," he said at a national advocacy conference sponsored by the American Medical Association. "I'm going to come at it again and again and again."

Last month, Dr. Frist tried to push through liability reform legislation that would have provided protection for physicians who perform obstetrics and emergency and trauma care, but the Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act (S. 2207) was blocked from consideration.

In February, Dr. Frist tried a similar maneuver with a bill aimed specifically at physicians who provide obstetric care (S. 2061).

That bill also failed to garner enough votes to make it to the Senate floor.

"You're going to see me come at it as a comprehensive bill and if I get beat I'll take a wedge of that and if I get beat I'll expand that wedge and if I get beat I'll expand the wedge again," Dr. Frist said.

"I'll keep expanding the wedge and we'll come back and do the comprehensive bill," he added.