The House Judiciary Committee has approved HR 1215, the "Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017." The bill includes a variety of medical liability reforms, including a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages, limits on contingency fees, and allocation of damages in direct proportion to fault. The provisions would apply only to claims concerning the provision of goods or services for which coverage is provided in whole or in part via a federal program, subsidy, or tax benefit. The legislation would not preempt state laws that specify a particular monetary amount of economic or noneconomic damages, or that offer other specific types of protections. The panel also approved HR 372, the "Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017,″ which would repeal the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies provided under the McCarran-Ferguson Act.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
