Health care coverage is one of the hot topics in this country right now. While most people are hyper-focused on the cost of obtaining health insurance and the number of people who will keep or lose coverage, there are some other points that many people might not be aware of.
The United States House of Representatives recently passed a bill, the Protecting Access to Care Act, that would seriously limit the amount of compensation a person could receive for a medical malpractice claim. The maximum cap would be $250,000.
As you can imagine, opponents of this bill are reminding people that this would limit the accountability of medical professionals and could lead to an increase in medical errors. On the other side are the people who support this bill and say that this would limit unnecessary tests and treatments in these cases.
The bill also limits what attorneys can charge for medical malpractice cases. It also introduces a three-year statute of limitations on these cases. Interestingly, the bill only applies to specific parties. It applies to people who receive a subsidy to help cover premiums through the marketplace and those on Medicaid or Medicare.
This bill hasn’t yet become law, but it is now one step closer. Keeping an eye on developments related to this bill is imperative for people who receive medical care. Some people might think that this bill won’t impact them, but you never know when your life will be impacted by a medical error that causes catastrophic damages. If that does occur, you would want to know that you can receive appropriate compensation for your injuries without having to worry about a damages cap.