Usa, House Passes Medical Malpractice Reform Bill

The American Academy Of Ophthalmology has been lobbying extensively for this bill as part of the National Medical Liability Reform Coalition and sent letters to targeted members of the House prior to the vote, encouraging their support of the legislation and asking them to oppose any weakening amendments.

The Academy and others in the medical community now plan to pressure the Senate to pass the legislation, but with a limited amount of legislative days left in this Congress, it is unclear whether or not the Senate will act. This legislation caps non-economic "pain and suffering" damages at $250,000; limits punitive damages to two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000, whichever is greater; allows for periodic payment of damage awards; eliminates double payment of awards; provides for proportionate liability among all parties; and limits contingency fees that lawyers charge their clients, using a sliding scale based on the amount recovered by the plaintiff.

The passage of H.R. 4600 by the House is a strong step toward stopping the ''litigation lottery'' that has left several states in crisis from sky-rocketing malpractice insurance premiums," says Catherine Cohen, Academy VP for governmental affairs. "Although Academy ophthalmologists have escaped the really devastating increases thanks to the Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC), it is only a matter of time before the mayhem spills over and affects our Eye M.D.s too."