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Brandenburg -
Florida's health care system is in crisis. I voted in favor of this bill because it is an important first step toward resolving that crisis. Skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance rates have been contributing to the crisis, and are driving physicians into retirement and into leaving Florida to practice medicine elsewhere. This bill has some flaws, but it is a place to start. I pledge to work with the Florida Senate in the coming weeks to create a final bill that better meets my goal of encouraging good doctors and hospitals to continue providing health care for all Floridians.
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Gannon -
The Speaker of the House has excused me of my duties for this Friday, March 20, 2003 legislative session due to an event back in my district. I would like to voice my opinion on House bill 1713 relating to Medical Malpractice. I have read, listened, and debated this issue for the past several weeks with my fellow colleagues, legislative experts, special interest groups, and most of all my constituents.
Although, I strongly support the consensus of dealing with the medical malpractice crisis in Florida, I will not be able to support House Bill 1713. I believe that successful, corrective legislation should result in the following: An immediate and significant reduction in medical malpractice insurance premiums for physicians so that they remain in practice in Florida, insuring that medical malpractice insurance premiums accurately reflect a physician’s good claims experience and professional training, and providing for alternative insurance options for physicians who wish to work together to further reduce their medical malpractice insurance premiums through use of alternative insurance vehicles such as physician-owned insurance companies and risk-retention groups. This bill does not adequately address these issues
This is not an easy decision for me. However, based on the information that I have gathered regarding this issue, I am respectfully exercising my right vote Nay on House Bill 1713.
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Gelber -
Florida’s Medical Malpractice system is in crisis. Insurance rates have skyrocketed, forcing many of our doctors to go out of business or to consider leaving the state. Hard-working middle class families suffer when access to healthcare is decreased. The quickest way to address the cost of insurance is to require a reduction in the cost of medical malpractice insurance. Freezing and rolling back rates will provide the kind of immediate relief that doctors need. We had a chance to give doctors a break, but this house said no. This House had a chance to say bad doctors must not practice, period. Doctors found liable for committing three major incidents of malpractice over a four year period, where their gross negligence results in the death of patient, brain or spinal damage, or some extreme accident, such as operating on the wrong limb or patient, should have their license suspended. We had a chance to assure that only good doctors are practicing medicine, but this House said no.
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Greenstein -
Florida’s Medical Malpractice system is in crisis. Today we took an important first step towards helping doctors and patients. Ensuring low malpractice rates is critical to ensuring that doctors stay in Florida and that patients have access to critical medical care. Granted, this is not a perfect product but it is a start. We have plenty of time to work with the Senate to improve this bill and ensure that it meets the needs of our doctors.
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Joyner -
Florida’s Medical Malpractice system is in crisis. Insurance rates have skyrocketed, forcing many of our doctors out of business or consider leaving the state. Hard-working middle class families suffer when access to healthcare is decreased. The quickest way to address the cost of insurance is to require a reduction in the cost of medical malpractice insurance. Freezing and rolling back rates will provide the kind of immediate relief that doctors need. We had a chance to give doctors a break, but this house said no. This House had a chance to say bad doctors must not practice, period. Doctors found liable for committing three major incidents of malpractice over a four year period, where their gross negligence results in the death of patient, brain or spinal damage, or some extreme accident, such as operating on the wrong limb or patient, should have their license suspended. We had a chance to ensure only good doctors are practicing medicine, but this House said no.
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Machek -
Florida's Medical Malpractice system is in crisis. Insurance rates have skyrocketed, forcing many of our doctors to go out of business or consider leaving the state. Hard-working middle-class families are the ones who suffer the most when access to healthcare is decreased.
The quickest way to address the cost of insurance is to require a reduction in the cost of medical malpractice insurance. Freezing and rolling-back rates will provide the kind of immediate relief that doctors need. We had our chance to give doctors a break, but this House said "No."
This House had a chance to say that doctors found liable for committing three major incidents of malpractice over a four year period, where their gross negligence results in the extreme injury or death of a patient, would have their licenses suspended, ensuring that only good doctors are practicing medicine, but this House said "No."
Good doctors should have lower insurance rates than bad doctors. We had our chance to reward good doctors with lower rates, but again, this House said "No."
This bill does not guarantee relief for doctors and accordingly, I voted no.
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Ritter -
Florida’s Medical Malpractice system is in crisis. Insurance rates have skyrocketed, forcing many of our doctors out of business or consider leaving the state. Hard-working middle class families suffer when access to healthcare is decreased. The quickest way to address the cost of insurance is to require a reduction in the cost of medical malpractice insurance. Freezing and rolling back rates will provide the kind of immediate relief that doctors need. We had a chance to give doctors a break, but this house said no. This House had a chance to say bad doctors must not practice, period. Doctors found liable for committing three major incidents of malpractice over a four year period, where their gross negligence results in the death of patient, brain or spinal damage, or some extreme accident, such as operating on the wrong limb or patient, should have their license suspended.
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Robaina -
I recently voted in favor of HB 1713 which addressed the issue of medical malpractice. This bill incorporated many of the provisions contained in HB 1435 which I am sponsoring.
HB 1435 provides for medical malpractice insurance reform; creates a medical mutual insurance company to insure health care providers for liability arising from the negligence or malpractice of health care providers; provides for company board of director determination of insurance rates; requires a company administrator to develop a medical malpractice risk management program; authorizes the board to issue revenue bonds; requires the administrator to formulate a budget; provides for administration by the Office of Insurance Regulation; requires the office to set medical malpractice rates; limits rates for medical malpractice insurance; prohibits property insurance without also issuing medical malpractice insurance policies; prohibits denying medical malpractice insurance to health care provider.
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Vana -
Florida’s Medical Malpractice system is in crisis. Insurance rates have skyrocketed, forcing many of our doctors out of business or consider leaving the state. Hard-working middle class families suffer when access to healthcare is decreased. The quickest way to address the cost of insurance is to require a reduction in the cost of medical malpractice insurance. Freezing and rolling back rates will provide the kind of immediate relief that doctors need. We had a chance to give doctors a break, but this house said no. This House had a chance to say bad doctors must not practice, period. Doctors found liable for committing three major incidents of malpractice over a four year period, where their gross negligence results in the death of patient, brain or spinal damage, or some extreme accident, such as operating on the wrong limb or patient, should have their license suspended. We had a chance to ensure only good doctors are practicing medicine, but this House said no.