Senate Bill sb0074E

    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 74-E

    By Senator Brown-Waite





    10-2408A-02

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to medical malpractice

  3         insurance; creating the Task Force on Medical

  4         Malpractice Insurance Premiums to make

  5         recommendations to the Legislature; providing

  6         an effective date.

  7  

  8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

  9  

10         Section 1.  (1)  The Task Force on Medical Malpractice

11  Insurance Premiums is created within the Department of

12  Insurance. The 13-member task force shall include the

13  Lieutenant Governor or his or her designee, who shall serve as

14  the chairperson; the Insurance Commissioner or his or her

15  designee; the Secretary of Health Care Administration or his

16  or her designee; two representatives of medical malpractice

17  insurers, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of

18  the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker

19  of the House of Representatives; two physicians licensed in

20  this state under chapter 458 or chapter 459, Florida Statutes,

21  who practice within medical specialties that are experiencing

22  problems in obtaining or maintaining medical malpractice

23  insurance, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of

24  the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker

25  of the House of Representatives; two representatives of

26  licensed hospitals, one of whom must be from a teaching

27  hospital, one of whom shall be appointed by the President of

28  the Senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker

29  of the House of Representatives; and two attorneys recommended

30  by the Florida Academy of Trial Lawyers, one of whom shall be

31  appointed by the President of the Senate and one of whom shall

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2002                                  SB 74-E
    10-2408A-02




 1  be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; a

 2  member of the Florida Senate who shall be appointed by the

 3  President of the Senate; and a member of the House of

 4  Representatives who shall be appointed by the Speaker of the

 5  House of Representatives.

 6         (2)  The task force shall examine medical malpractice

 7  claims experience; the costs of medical malpractice insurance

 8  for physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare providers; and

 9  other relevant data. The task force shall make recommendations

10  to the Legislature concerning ways that medical malpractice

11  insurance rates or premiums can be stabilized and made more

12  affordable. The Department of Insurance and the Agency for

13  Health Care Administration shall provide staff and other

14  administrative assistance that is reasonably necessary to

15  assist the task force in carrying out its responsibilities.

16  The task force shall report to the Governor, the President of

17  the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives by

18  January 1, 2003. The task force shall conduct its first

19  meeting by August 1, 2002, and shall conclude its

20  responsibilities by December 31, 2002.

21         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

22  law.

23  

24            *****************************************

25                          SENATE SUMMARY

26    Creates the Task Force on Medical Malpractice Insurance
      Premiums to make recommendations to the Legislature.
27    Requires a report by January 1, 2003.

28  

29  

30  

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.