by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
U.S. Senate candidate Bill McCollum was part of a packed Rotary Club audience Monday that heard the American Medical Association president call for further medical liability reform in Florida.
Donald Palmisano told an audience of about 200 that legislation passed in 2003 was insufficient to pull Florida medical care away from an “abyss” of rising costs and quitting doctors. A tray full of dishes crashed as Palmisano began his 45-minute harangue against what he called a broken system of rising liability and insurance premiums brought on by excessive lawsuits.
The speech that began with the sounds of breaking glass, concluded with applause as McCollum joined a rare Rotarian standing ovation. Campaigning to replace retiring Sen. Bob Graham, McCollum has endorsed capping medical malpractice awards at $250,000. He said after Palmisano’s speech that malpractice reform was one of his “spotlight” differences with former cabinet member Mel Martinez, his closest Republican competitor. Martinez has said he also supports caps but at a higher number.
“It’s troubling when you look at the effect the insurance premiums are having on the medical profession,” said McCollum. “But my real concern is not the doctor quitting, it’s not people not going to medical school, it’s the people who are going untreated because there aren’t doctors available or they can’t afford the cost.”
Campaigning across Florida, McCollum said he’s heard complaints about the lack of primary-care doctors. Palmisano said doctors are increasingly leaving the state because they don’t want to pay rising insurance premiums. McCollum said the lack of primary care often results in more expensive visits to the emergency room.
As Palmisano left the room at the Radisson, McCollum called to him, “I’m going to help a lot when I get there.” The latest Mason–Dixie poll shows McCollum with a slight lead over former U.S. housing secretary Martinez. The poll puts McCollum ahead in the Republican primary race 38 percent to 36.
McCollum said national security is the “No. 1 issue in the country,” followed by the economy. Although he said the economy was doing well, he said medical liability reform would be a boost to Florida’s business climate.
By reducing the cost to insure employees, the State would be more competitive in attracting and keeping businesses, he said.