Threat of Lawsuits Causes More Testing and Higher Costs for Consumers

Dear Editor,

In the post-covid world, inflationary pressure is driving up medical costs for the average patient.  This is causing basic medical insurance to be unaffordable for the average consumer, and I can see the pain as people have to make tough decisions about which bills they are and are not going to pay.

As a nursing professional, I know how much money it is costing hospitals, and doctors, and nurses to provide basic healthcare needs.  I also hear complaints about the number of tests being performed on patients that think are perhaps unnecessary.  Some of this is necessary if only for the legal protection of the medical personnel who are seeing the patient.  Doctors and nurses live with a constant threat hanging over their heads that if medicine is not practiced perfectly, a certain lawsuit will follow.

Administering healthcare is not an exact science.  Each patient is different, and every scenario is different.  Expanding medical legal protections, especially for those working in the most high risk and volatile cases would seem to be a tool to bring down the cost of healthcare and healthcare insurance while also encouraging more doctors and nurses to move to Florida and also help solve our personnel shortage crisis.

Katie Morris

Chairman

Citizens for Florida Prosperity