Bill > H791

This bill aims to improve patient care access and safety by introducing several key provisions: 1. It clarifies that offering expert testimony in medical malpractice cases constitutes the practice of medicine, subjecting experts to regulations and oversight. 2. It requires insurers or risk management organizations that provide coverage to licensed 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 medical errors or negligence. This data will help the Center develop best practices to reduce medical errors and enhance patient safety. 3. It modifies the laws governing medical malpractice judgments, allowing courts to order periodic payments for future damages over $50,000 and making each defendant liable only for their proportionate share of the fault, rather than joint liability. 4. It requires that expert witnesses in medical malpractice cases be board-certified in the same specialty as the defendant healthcare provider. Overall, the bill aims to improve patient care, increase transparency around medical errors, and reform aspects of the medical malpractice legal system.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/190/H791