Medical Malpractice Reform Envisions $40 Billion in Savings for Floridians

Legislation has been introduced to create a "Patient's Compensation System" to handle medical malpractice claims in Florida.

Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, and Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, are sponsoring Senate Bill 1588 and House Bill 1233 to replace current malpractice litigation with a process that supporters estimate will eliminate up to $40 billion per year of "medically unnecessary medical costs."

The current medical liability system isnt working for patients or physicians. It is adversarial, expensive and inefficient, Patronis said. Legislative action in 2012 is essential to protect Floridas patients and reduce unnecessary health-care costs.

Patients for Fair Compensation, a reform advocacy group, said the system called for in the legislation would:

• Utilize a no-fault process modeled after the state's workers compensation program.
• Lower health care costs by reducing the incidence of unnecessary tests and procedures currently ordered by health care providers seeking to protect themselves from potential lawsuits.
• Assure that all patient complaints are heard and quickly resolved while ensuring that more patients are fairly compensated.

It is estimated that one in three dollars spent on health care in Florida currently pays for unnecessary tests and treatments that physicians order for fear of being sued, Hays said. Passage of this bill will significantly help reduce the rate of increases in health-care expenses.

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