Protection for healthcare in the works in Kansas

Republican legislators in Kansas are joining a larger national effort to shield doctors, hospitals and businesses from lawsuits stemming from the coronavirus.

Business and medical groups are pushing them to act quickly, but the effort faces strong opposition from labor unions, trial lawyers and some Democrats.

They fear measures will keep patients, consumers and employees from being able to turn to the courts to hold businesses and medical providers accountable for negligence or misconduct.

Similar efforts are underway in Congress and other states, including Mississippi, North Carolina and Utah.

The Kansas House Judiciary Committee plans to have the first of three Zoom meetings on the issue this afternoon.