Press Release - No Room for People’s Advocates in Florida House Med-Mal Meeting?
No Room for People’s Advocates in Florida House Med-Mal Meeting?
LAKE WORTH, Feb. 15, 2019 – The Florida Medical Rights Association (FMRA) – an organization founded by family members of victims who died of medical negligence– today expressed dire concern over the Florida House of Representatives holding a committee workshop discussing medical malpractice without hearing from victims’ advocates.
The Florida House Civil Justice Subcommittee on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 8 am will hear a one-sided panel of presentations and hold discussion on tort reform, medical malpractice reform, and insurer bad faith reform. The invited participants are a proverbial “who’s who” of big insurance and corporate special interests, including a $4 billion physician-led medical malpractice insurance company and a representative from one of America’s most notorious anti-victim, corporate-funded Washington, D.C. think tanks.
“Florida’s Constitution says the Legislature’s power comes directly from the people. Yet, there is no room for the people’s voice at Bob Rommel’s table, I am hopeful to be allowed sufficient time to speak during the period for public comments.” said Melody Page of FMRA. “Insurance companies don’t vote. People do. Unfortunately, with this slight against hard-working Floridians, it feels like the only time lawmakers want to know what people think is when they want to win an election. In fact, there are over 50,000 Floridians who have signed petitions that place patients first by encouraging the Legislature to repeal the patient “free kill” statute (768.21(8), F.S.).”
FMRA will have a representative at Wednesday’s meeting. Instead of serving special corporate insurance interests, first, FMRA looks forward to the day when lawmakers reserve the first seat at the table for people who represent victims and consumers among their constituents.
The Florida Medical Rights Association (formerly Dad’s Daisies) is a non-profit organization committed to making Florida a safer place for all health care recipients. The organization’s vision is one where Florida is a state where hospitals are accountable for patient safety, human life is valued over profit, and families have the right to stand up for ones they love when they have been victim to death by medical errors.
Florida Medical Rights Association