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."
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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