House Republicans Resume Attempts To Reform Malpractice Insurance System
In the midst of rapidly increasing premium rates for medical malpractice insurance nationwide, Reps. Jim Greenwood (R-Pa.) and Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) have proposed a bill ( HR 4600) that would limit medical malpractice claims, CongressDaily reports. The bill would cap non-economic "pain and suffering" damages at $250,000, limit punitive damages, restrict attorneys' fees and allow awards to be paid in installments rather than all at once. The legislation, which is supported by many Republicans and a "handful of mostly conservative Democrats," has been passed by the House in "various permutations" six times since 1995 but has never passed the Senate. In an effort to win more Democratic support, the current bill does not supersede existing or future state laws, which could have higher or lower caps on malpractice awards.
Ignani, Palmisano Address Access Issues
The "overly litigious" nature of American society is "adversely affecting" the quality of health care and their access to health services, two health association officials told a forum sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute, BNA News Health Care Daily Report reports. During the April 24 forum, Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of the American Association of Health Plans, and Donald Palmisano, secretary-treasurer of the American Medical Association, focused on the rising cost of medical malpractice insurance, which is caused in part by an increase in lawsuits filed against providers. Ignagni said that such lawsuits lead to "increased [medical] costs, declining access because of rising costs and a lack of progress" in the health care system. Palmisano added that a "fear of litigation overwhelms the health care system with paperwork, leav[es] less time for patient care and ... deters qualified people from pursuing careers in medicine." The two lobbyists also discussed whether increased efforts at medical liability reform have "tempered" the health industry's views on a patients' bill of rights (White, BNA News Health Care Daily Report, 4/25).
