Bill > H1501

This bill aims to amend the existing laws in Massachusetts related to patient safety, medical error reporting, and medical malpractice. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Expanding the definition of "medical peer review committee" to include committees formed by individual healthcare providers, physician groups, or licensed healthcare facilities to evaluate the quality of healthcare, compliance with standards of care, and the competence of healthcare providers. 2. Requiring insurers or risk management organizations that provide insurance to physicians to report annually to the Betsy Lehman Center for Patient Safety and Medical Error Reduction on the top categories of losses, claims, or actions for personal injury damages due to error, omission, or negligence in the performance of medical services. This data will be used by the Center to develop evidence-based best practices to reduce medical errors and enhance patient safety. 3. Clarifying that the offering of expert testimony in medical malpractice actions against physicians constitutes the practice of medicine. 4. Requiring that expert witnesses in medical malpractice actions be board-certified in the same specialty as the defendant healthcare provider. 5. Providing for the periodic payment of future damages in medical malpractice judgments over $50,000 and establishing procedures for the court to ensure the defendant's compliance with the periodic payment schedule. 6. Modifying the interest rate calculation for medical malpractice judgments to be based on the weekly average 1-year constant maturity Treasury yield, rather than the fixed rate specified in the existing law.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H1501