Bill > S1171

This bill aims to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs by making several changes to existing laws. First, it clarifies that medical peer review committees, formed by individual healthcare providers, physician groups, or facilities to review medical practices, will be subject to certain provisions regardless of whether their formation is legally required or their affiliation is limited to specific types of healthcare organizations. Second, it modifies how interest is calculated on malpractice judgments, replacing the standard interest rate with a rate based on the average weekly 1-year constant maturity Treasury yield from the start of the lawsuit to the judgment, though this new rate will not exceed the previously established maximum. Finally, it addresses the "loss of chance" doctrine in medical malpractice cases, meaning a plaintiff can only recover if they can prove they lost an opportunity for survival or a better outcome that was greater than a 50% chance, and they must also prove the standard of care, the provider's failure to meet it, and that this failure directly caused their injury, establishing a professional relationship or a specific threat scenario.