Florida Lawmakers Approve Medical Malpractice Plan

[Rose Siding]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - Florida lawmakers on Wednesday ended months of heated debate by passing a sweeping medical malpractice reform package that caps certain lawsuit damages and freezes insurance rates for at least four months.

Gov. Jeb Bush applauded lawmakers following three special legislative sessions to hammer out a compromise measure and said he would likely sign the bill into law on Thursday.

"I'm confident there will be a reduction in insurance premiums," Bush said. "I'm confident we'll have a better system to deal with doctors -- the small number of doctors -- that commit grievous malpractice. I know we will be able to get better data for all of us to be able to make policy decisions going forward."

snip>

Opponents of the bill included the Florida Medical Association, the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers and medical malpractice insurers. Further, Democrats said the bill failed to require insurers to pass on savings to physicians who have faced steadily rising malpractice insurance rates.

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=3274002

[kanrok]

1. Arggggggghhhhh

I know this is redundant,but Jeb is a douchebag. Med mal insurance rates will NOT go down because of this legislation. What a farce.

[Rose Siding]

2. They didn't go down when CA did this either

Insurance rate increases don't have anything to do with litigation. In the 90's, the amount of pay outs on settlements declined while ins rates surged.

[dfong63]

3. is that in the law?

"I'm confident there will be a reduction in insurance premiums," Bush said. "I'm confident we'll have a better system to deal with doctors -- the small number of doctors -- that commit grievous malpractice. I know we will be able to get better data for all of us to be able to make policy decisions going forward."

does the law have a provision repealing the caps if the rates do not go down, or if this promised "better system" to deal with the bad apples doesn't materialize?

or is this just another case of phony promises, like his brother promising that the tax cuts would create millions of jobs.

[revcarol]

4. I knew I shouldn't have clicked on this thread.

One can only take so much skunk smell.