Government
Colo. legislation aims to speed malpractice awards
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted March 26, 2007
A bill on its way to Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter's desk could hasten payments of jury awards to injured patients but is unlikely to affect medical liability insurance premiums, doctors say. The measure would give patients who win medical liability cases the option to receive their awards in one lump sum rather than in monthly payments, as required under current law.
After evaluating the legislation, medical liability carriers determined that it would have no major effect on doctors' insurance rates, said Alfred Gilchrist, executive director of the Colorado Medical Society, which took no position on the bill.
The medical society will remain vigilant in defending against any possible efforts to use the bill as a springboard to change state medical liability laws that have helped keep premiums down, Gilchrist said. Colorado, which passed a $300,000 cap on noneconomic damages and a $1 million cap on total damages, is one of only eight states that the American Medical Association has declared to have a stable medical liability climate.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/03/26/gvbf0326.htm.
