Dead, wounded kids at center of Medicaid lawsuit reforms

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Miami Herald

Dead, wounded kids at center of Medicaid lawsuit reforms
.In their efforts to reform Medicaid, lawmakers also want to limit the rights of poor people to sue doctors, hospitals and child-welfare companies.
By MARC CAPUTO
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE -- A baby’s brain is damaged in a botched surgery. A 10-year-old in Florida’s child-welfare system is tortured and killed as her helpless brother listens in torment.

These ripped-from-the-headlines cases are recipes for easy lawsuits – but that could change if Republican lawmakers get their way.

In the midst of expanding HMO-style management in Medicaid, the Legislature is passing a raft of proposals that limit the liability of Medicaid doctors, hospitals, nursing homes and private community-based care companies.

Backers of the legislation include doctors and hospitals. They say the underlying logic is simple: Give Medicaid providers and child-welfare companies lawsuit protections because they’re acting on behalf of the state, which is shielded from lawsuits.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/03/29/2140322/dead-wounded-kids-at-center-of.html

[Hannah Bell]

1. i think if that legislation goes through it would have a very bad effect.

it is already evident to me in my work that medicaid patients get poorer care. removing the fear of lawsuits would make it worse. and it would put a subtle (maybe sometimes not so subtle) pressure on health care workers from above as well, imo.

god i hate these vampires.

[freshwest]

2. Privatization of those services will hide the evidence even better. Lots of bodies in that.

[spinbaby]

3. Why is it always Florida?

They're on their way to becoming a third-world country with a theme park in the middle.