Joe Crowley: “people on the other side are trying to pass off caps on medical malpractice awards as good for patients and doctors. In…”

“people on the other side are trying to pass off caps on medical malpractice awards as good for patients and doctors. In reality, it is only good for insurance companies. The truth is, capping medical malpractice awards does not mean insurance rates will fall. Compare average insurance premiums for States with damage caps versus premiums for States with no gaps. For OB/GYN doctors, especially those hard hit by medical malpractice awards, we find that OB/GYNs in States without caps pay only 3.4 percent more than their counterparts in States with award caps. General surgery doctors actually pay $602 more, not less, in States that have caps in medical malpractice awards. Governor Jeb Bush's own CFO was quoted 2 weeks ago saying that medical malpractice insurance is rising in Florida because insurance companies are trying to make up losses in a soft economy. Capping medical malpractice awards will not cause insurance rates to go down. Capping medical malpractice awards is simply a handout to the insurance industry at the expense of innocent patients and victims.”