House Passes Med Mal Reform Bill
Thursday, March 13th, 2003 LiabilityThe House of Representatives approved a medical malpractice liability reform bill on a 229-196 vote Thursday afternoon. The Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-Cost Timely Healthcare—or HEALTH—Act calls for limiting noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases to $250,000. It would also cap punitive damages at the greater of $250,000 or twice compensatory damages. The measure would also limit any one defendant‘s financial liability to the proportion of its responsibility. Many employer groups have joined the Bush administration in support of the bill, which was initially drafted by Rep. James Greenwood, R-Pa. Both the employers and the White House hold that reforms are needed to curb rising malpractice insurance premiums and to increase access to health care.
