In his State of the Union Address, President Obama said he was willing work with Republicans on malpractice reform, but both sides have very different conceptions of what the reforms should be, according to a report by the Washington Post.
The president has long been a proponent of reducing the number of malpractice cases going to the courts by implementing programs such as making sure physicians apologize early, trying to negotiate payments and using screening panels to weed out cases with no merit.
But the president has never supported caps on damage awards, which is what Republicans have been calling for. House Republicans, with one Democratic co-sponsor, recently introduced a bill that would cap non-economic damages at $250,000, mirroring successful laws in California and Texas. The new Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare Act (spells out to HEALTH Act) is supported by the AMA.
Read the Washington Post report on malpractice.
Read more coverage on malpractice reform:
- Bipartisan Malpractice Reform Bill Introduced in House
- House Committee to Hold Hearing on Medical Liability Reform
- Study Finds 42% of Physicians Have Been Sued for Malpractice
The president has long been a proponent of reducing the number of malpractice cases going to the courts by implementing programs such as making sure physicians apologize early, trying to negotiate payments and using screening panels to weed out cases with no merit.
But the president has never supported caps on damage awards, which is what Republicans have been calling for. House Republicans, with one Democratic co-sponsor, recently introduced a bill that would cap non-economic damages at $250,000, mirroring successful laws in California and Texas. The new Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare Act (spells out to HEALTH Act) is supported by the AMA.
Read the Washington Post report on malpractice.
Read more coverage on malpractice reform:
- Bipartisan Malpractice Reform Bill Introduced in House
- House Committee to Hold Hearing on Medical Liability Reform
- Study Finds 42% of Physicians Have Been Sued for Malpractice