Politics

House Speaker Jones Makes Medical Malpractice Caps A Top Priority For 2014

St. Louis Public Radio | By Marshall Griffin,

Marshall Griffin

Published January 16, 2014 at 5:39 PM CST

Mo. House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, at a press conference Thursday in Jefferson City, announcing that restoring caps on medical malpractice damages will be a top priority in 2014.

The speaker of the Missouri House is pushing lawmakers to restore caps on damages in medical malpractice lawsuits.

A 2005 Missouri law created a $350,000 cap on non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. But that cap was tossed out in 2012 by the Missouri Supreme Court. House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, surrounded by a group of medical professionals and lawmakers Thursday in Jefferson City, said restoring the caps will be one of his top priorities this year.

“Unless we act, we're encouraging health-care costs to increase (and) for health-care quality to decline," Jones said, "as many of our best doctors, nurses, and health-care providers of all shapes and varieties inevitably flee our state and simply walk across the border to Oklahoma, to Arkansas, to Kansas, to all of the other states that surround us that have reasonable caps in place that protect both doctors and patients."

The Missouri House passed a malpractice cap bill last year, but it died in the Senate.

"Unless we take action this year, we'll see millions of dollars in the health-care industry diverted away from care," Jones said. "It will be diverted away from access to care, from creating more health-care jobs, and instead those dollars will be needed for legal defense costs."

Opponents say restoring caps would protect insurance companies at the expense of victims of medical malpractice. So far, two measures have been filed in the Missouri House to restore caps on damages, House Bill 1173 and House Joint Resolution 45. The latter would place medical malpractice caps in the Missouri Constitution.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter: @MarshallGReport

Tags

Marshall Griffin

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.

See stories by Marshall Griffin

Marshall Griffin

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.