Government
Massachusetts physicians call for state medical liability reforms
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 7, 2008
A host of tort reform measures recently proposed in Massachusetts would help keep medical liability insurance and health care costs down and keep physicians practicing in the state, the Massachusetts Medical Society told the state's Joint Committee on the Judiciary in March.
Doctors voiced their support for several bills. They would allow doctors to apologize to patients without such statements being used in court and require medical expert witnesses to be in the same area of expertise in which they are testifying. The legislation also would protect doctors and other health care professionals from liability when they volunteer in disaster or other emergency situations and would require plaintiffs to give defendants six months notice before filing a lawsuit.
The medical society opposes a bill that would eliminate use of pretrial screening panels in medical liability cases. Doctors said the system, though imperfect, has helped weed out frivolous claims.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/04/07/gvbf0407.htm.