Care First Kentucky supports SB 119

The Care First Kentucky Coalition, which includes leaders from the state’s business and healthcare communities, is taking a stand to protect all Kentucky caregivers from aggressive personal injury lawyers and meritless lawsuits that divert precious resources away from patient care and contribute to the state’s well-known provider shortage.  This has led to a dramatic increase in liability insurance costs attributed to the fact whether dismissed, settled, won or lost, lawsuits cost health care providers thousands of dollars to defend.  This wastes precious resources that could otherwise be spent providing care for patients.

The members of Care First Kentucky are proud to support Senate Bill 119, legislation filed this week by your colleague, Senator Julie Denton, which create a medical review panel process for evaluating proposed claims against Kentucky’s hard-working health care providers. This will help put an end to the growing number of meritless lawsuits that increase Kentucky’s health care costs.

What SB 119 Does:

• Establishes an independent panel of three medical experts to review claims against health care providers.
• Provides a timely, independent, medical opinion on the standard of care that is admissible in court.
• Provides another layer of accountability for Kentucky health care providers and personal injury lawyers.

What SB 119 Does NOT Do:

• Does NOT limit, delay, or deny a patient’s or their family’s access to court. Any claim can still proceed.
• Does NOT create additional costs for a patient or their family to sue a health care provider.
• Does NOT bind a jury from determining findings of fact and conclusions of law.

If you would like to learn more about Senate Bill 119, medical review panels or the Care First Kentucky Coalition, please visit: www.carefirstky.com.  Members of Care First Kentucky are also happy to meet with you in person to answer any questions.