LTC Matters: Some Congressional Momentum, but Federal Medical Tort Reform Unlikely
9/1/2002
On July 25, 2002, President Bush called for national malpractice legislation that would place a cap on non-economic damages awarded in malpractice lawsuits, put a three-year limit on filing claims, and allow punitive damages only in cases with clear proof of malicious intent. Although Presidential and Congressional support for tort reform is growing, large scale reform legislation is unlikely to be passed this year. In fact, the prospects for any major malpractice measure becoming law are extremely dim for the foreseeable future.
