Newspapers recently reported on developments related to medical practice in three states. Summaries of the coverage appear below.
Hawaii: Legislation that would have put a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases failed to pass Hawaii's House Judiciary Committee earlier this month, the Honolulu Advertiser reports. Gov. Linda Lingle (R) proposed the bill as a way to improve access to care in rural areas that are experiencing a shortage of specialty physicians because of high malpractice insurance premiums. After reviewing testimony in support and opposition to the bill, lawmakers could not agree on a dollar amount to cap damages that they considered to be "fair" (Shapiro, Honolulu Advertiser, 3/2).
Iowa: The Des Moines Register on Monday profiled United Medical Liability Insurance, a small start-up medical malpractice insurer based in Iowa that educates physicians "on their bedside manners in hopes that a little kindness will create ... fewer legal problems for its policyholders." According to company President and CEO James Krist, physicians who communicate effectively with their patients can reduce their risks of being sued. The company typically works with physicians on record keeping and procedure management, "which are important defenses when a complaint arises," in addition to coaching sessions aimed at enhancing communication skills, the Register reports (Dinnen, Des Moines Register, 3/12).
Nevada: The Nevada Legislature is considering a bill that would allow physicians to offer patients an apology or expression of regret for medical mistakes without having it used against them in court, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The bill is based on similar legislation from 29 other states, and it aims to reduce the number of medical malpractice lawsuits (Wells, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/8).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.