Recent News
Premium increase causes pain for patients, providers
AMA Policy Research Perspectives Upward Trajectory of Medical Liability Premiums Persists for Sixth Year in a Row Introduction This Policy Research Perspective (PRP) examines recent trends in medical professional liability insurance (MPL) premiums from 2015 to 2024...
Litigation loans drive up medical lawsuit abuse, health care costs
As the size of the third-party litigation funding (TPLF) industry grows, defense bar stakeholders seek regulation designed to ensure that TPLF involvement in claims and trials is fully disclosed. Currently, the federal courts and most state courts don’t require...
Liability reforms can help doctor drought in New Mexico
In a largely rural state defined by long distances to health care, the loss of 248 doctors across New Mexico in recent years means that patients face longer wait times and further travel to access the care they need. Moreover, “New Mexico was the only state to lose...
Arkansas liability bill heads to Governor’s desk
A controversial tort reform bill will be sent to Gov. Sarah Sanders’ desk after the state Senate narrowly approved the legislation on Thursday. If signed by the governor, House Bill 1204 would limit the amount of damages plaintiffs can recover for medical bills in...
American Medical Association addresses new Congress, priorities
Welcome, members of the 119th Congress. You have a tremendous opportunity to bring meaningful and long-overdue changes to health care that will better support physicians, remove barriers for patients, and improve access to care for millions of your constituents. To...
North Carolina anticipating need for realistic AI protections
As North Carolina’s health care systems increasingly expand their use of artificial intelligence, state leaders say they want to pioneer policy to regulate the rapidly evolving technology. The efforts would be some of the first steps toward placing guardrails on AI...
Georgia Governor gathers public support for liability reform
ATLANTA (AP) — After years of stalled efforts to limit civil lawsuits, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Republican lawmakers are doubling down with a new push. Supporters, most prominently business groups, call the state a “judicial hellhole,” and argue that businesses are...
Supreme Court Orders New Trial in $97M Iowa City Infant Malpractice Judgment
‘Courts have long recognized the danger that juries will be unfairly influenced by findings of ‘purportedly unbiased’ agencies, like the FDA’ The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a $97.4 million verdict against an OBGYN clinic in Coralville and ordered a new trial —...
Rushed and Reckless Medical Liability Bill Reported from Committee
On December 4, 2024, the House Committee on Judiciary reported House Bill 6085, legislation that would dismantle medial liability provisions that have helped to stabilize Michigan’s liability environment for the past 30 years, to the full House of Representatives for...
MPL Severity on the Rise: A Gathering Storm
Although the number of medical professional liability (MPL) lawsuits, known as claim frequency, has decreased during the past decade, the average amount spent overall on claims, known as severity, continues to increase. Frequency did not spike even after the COVID-19...