The Senate tackled a long-awaited health care reform measure
last month which aims to contain health care costs in
Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Bar Association with the
Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys, were vocal players in the
debate in a few areas of the bill.
In a historic effort, the MBA, MATA and Massachusetts Medical
Society proposed language, which was included in the Senate bill,
pertaining to so-called apology and written notice laws.
Additionally, both the MBA and MATA were successful in efforts
to amend the Senate bill, removing provisions requiring: expert
witnesses to be engaged in the practice of medicine at the time of
the alleged wrongdoing; be board certified in the same specialty as
the defendant, and; a provision that would lower the interest rate
in medical malpractice cases.
The House is set to begin debate on its health care reform bill
in early June. The formal portion of the legislative session
concludes on July 31, 2012.