Does the legislation include proven medical liability reforms?
The legislation establishes a competitive grant program for states to develop, implement and evaluate innovative medical malpractice reforms. This is in addition to the $25 million medical liability reform alternative grant program that the Administration initiated in September 2009, which is being implemented by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The AMA will continue to advocate for proven liability reforms at the federal level, such as a cap on non-economic damages. The AMA worked aggressively to ensure that liability reform provisions were included in health system reform legislation, and the Administration’s effort to stimulate innovation at the state level represents tremendous progress in an area where previous administrations have failed to propose even incremental changes.
