MACON, Ga. — State lawmakers and health care leaders met for a roundtable in Macon to discuss excessive medical lawsuits.
Some lawmakers believe state law has increased insurance policies and made it difficult to practice medicine in Georgia. They're worried the the lawsuits have negatively impacted quality of care and have increased health care costs.
Many lawmakers and physicians told Governor Brian Kemp that they're worried about the state of health care. They say the health care litigation environment in Georgia deters medical practices from coming to the Peach State -- and students from going into certain professions.
Mark Baker with the Hughston Clinic says he thinks insurance providers are part of the problem.
“It is the insurance companies," Baker said. "It is the provider, it's not just one."
In the past, state lawmakers legislated a cap on certain types of medical malpractice damages. But the State Supreme Court ruled that unconstitutional in a 20-10 vote, which has impacted insurance costs.
State Senator Larry Walker says juries are more inclined to believe the people suing hospitals and practices.
“We've seen rates go up astronomically in the last couple years and the availability of insurance has become more and more difficult,” Walker said.
State Hospital Association CEO Caylee Noggle said right now obstetrics is the medical specialty most likely to be sued in Georgia and physicians say they're seeing the impacts of that firsthand. That's in part because students don't want to practice it and it's more costly to support.
“Some hospitals have had to drop OB-GYN services, some have had to drop just labor and delivery services because of the lack of affordability or even lack of availability of insurance,” Walker said.
Kemp says he's aware of these issues and hopes the state can help.
“Costs are still rising for Georgia families and some students question whether they should enter the medical field at all,” Kemp said.
There are programs across the state that try to keep medical students practicing in Georgia -- like through rural pathway programs and by bringing a medical school to the University of Georgia.
Doctors and physicians pointed to liability insurance being one of the biggest barriers for OB-GYNs.