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State Representative Matt Dean
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-3018
For more information contact: Amber Berhow 651-296-5520
NEWS RELEASE
DEAN’S MEDICAL MALPRACTICE BILL AIMS FOR GREATER ACCESSIBILITY TO OB-GYN AND EMERGENCY SERVICES
SAINT PAUL – A bill authored by Representative Matt Dean to reform medical malpractice law was the subject of much debate this afternoon on the House floor. While the bill received no formal vote, several important amendments did, and the debate for the first time revealed the positions of some legislators on medical malpractice reform in Minnesota.
Dean’s bill would require medical experts testifying in the courtroom with regard to standards of medical care (1) be certified by the appropriate medical board, and (2) be a practitioner in the specialty area under consideration. An amendment to the bill passed that would limit the liability of ambulance services.
The legislation would limit frivolous lawsuits by ensuring that medical experts who are called upon to testify in these cases are certified and up to date on standards of care. Dean explained that medical malpractice insurance costs often disproportionately burden OB-GYN and emergency practitioners. These high-risk fields are essential to the public, and skyrocketing insurance costs are sending some doctors out of business, to the public’s detriment. Rural areas are often the hardest-hit.
Dean emphasized accessibility to these medical services to be paramount in pursuing medical malpractice reform. “A junk lawsuit in which physicians are not found to be negligent still costs an average of nearly $90,000 in legal defense,” Dean told his colleagues on the House floor. “These costs are discouraging doctors from doing what they do best. One in seven obstetricians no longer delivers babies.”
“Emergency rooms are increasingly under pressure to close their doors or divert patients because they are unable to obtain insurance or willing providers,” Dean continued. “Out state Minnesota faces the greatest pressure.”
Dean said it is imperative that our physicians – specifically OBGYN and emergency doctors – be available to serve the public, and that without reform in the area of medical malpractice law, pregnant mothers and victims of accidents will suffer the most from decreased accessibility to care. “It is imperative Minnesota lead the way in this reform,” he said.
The Minnesota Medical Association is in support of Dean’s legislation, whereas the Minnesota Trial Lawyers Association opposes the proposal.
Representative Matt Dean (Dellwood) serves on four House committees, including the Health Policy and Finance Committee. This is his first term in the Minnesota legislature. Representative Dean can be contacted by phone (651.296.3018) or email (rep.matt.dean@house.mn).
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