Bill > H605

This bill aims to encourage quality reviews and reduce costs in healthcare. It has several key provisions: 1. It expands the application of medical peer review committees to include those formed by individual healthcare providers, physician groups, and licensed facilities, even if their formation is not legally required. 2. It changes the interest rate calculation for medical malpractice judgments, setting it at the weekly average 1-year constant maturity Treasury yield plus 2 percent, rather than the standard rate. This is intended to reduce the overall costs associated with malpractice claims. 3. It requires plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases to prove that the lost opportunity for a better outcome was greater than 50 percent, and places the burden on the plaintiff to demonstrate the standard of care, the defendant's deviation from that standard, and the direct link between the defendant's actions and the plaintiff's injuries. 4. It modifies the calculation of damages under the state's consumer protection law, specifying that the amount to be multiplied by the court should be the judgment interest, rather than the total judgment amount, regardless of available insurance coverage.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H605