House
File
161
-
Enrolled
House
File
161
AN
ACT
RELATING
TO
DAMAGE
AWARDS
AGAINST
HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDERS,
CREATING
A
MEDICAL
ERROR
TASK
FORCE,
AND
INCLUDING
EFFECTIVE
DATE
AND
APPLICABILITY
PROVISIONS.
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
DIVISION
I
DAMAGE
AWARDS
AGAINST
HEALTH
CARE
PROVIDERS
Section
1.
Section
147.136A,
subsection
1,
paragraph
b,
Code
2023,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
b.
(1)
“Noneconomic
damages”
means
damages
arising
from
pain,
suffering,
inconvenience,
physical
impairment,
mental
anguish,
emotional
pain
and
suffering,
loss
of
chance,
loss
of
consortium,
or
any
other
nonpecuniary
damages.
(2)
“Noneconomic
damages”
does
not
include
the
loss
of
dependent
care,
including
the
loss
of
child
care,
due
to
the
death
of
or
severe
injury
to
a
spouse
or
parent
who
is
the
primary
caregiver
of
a
child
under
the
age
of
eighteen
or
a
disabled
adult.
Such
damages
shall
be
considered
economic
damages.
Sec.
2.
Section
147.136A,
subsection
2,
Code
2023,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
2.
The
Subject
to
subsection
4,
the
total
amount
recoverable
in
any
civil
action
for
noneconomic
damages
for
personal
injury
or
death,
whether
in
tort,
contract,
or
otherwise,
against
a
health
care
provider
shall
be
limited
to
two
hundred
fifty
thousand
dollars
for
any
occurrence
resulting
in
injury
or
House
File
161,
p.
2
death
of
a
patient
regardless
of
the
number
of
plaintiffs,
derivative
claims,
theories
of
liability,
or
defendants
in
the
civil
action,
shall
not
exceed
two
hundred
fifty
thousand
dollars
unless
the
jury
determines
that
there
is
a
substantial
or
permanent
loss
or
impairment
of
a
bodily
function,
substantial
disfigurement,
loss
of
pregnancy,
or
death,
which
warrants
a
finding
that
imposition
of
such
a
limitation
would
deprive
the
plaintiff
of
just
compensation
for
the
injuries
sustained
,
in
which
case
the
amount
recoverable
shall
not
exceed
one
million
dollars,
or
two
million
dollars
if
the
civil
action
includes
a
hospital
as
defined
in
section
135B.1
.
Sec.
3.
Section
147.136A,
Code
2023,
is
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
subsection:
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
4.
The
limitations
on
damages
contained
in
subsection
2
shall
increase
by
two
and
one-tenth
percent
on
January
1,
2028,
and
each
January
1
thereafter.
In
any
civil
action
described
in
this
section,
such
limitations
on
damages
shall
be
the
amount
effective
at
the
time
of
the
occurrence.
The
commissioner
of
insurance
shall
publish
the
amount
of
the
limitations
on
damages
contained
in
this
section
on
the
insurance
division’s
internet
site
and
shall
update
the
published
amount
annually.
Sec.
4.
Section
668A.1,
subsection
2,
paragraphs
a
and
b,
Code
2023,
are
amended
to
read
as
follows:
a.
If
the
answer
or
finding
pursuant
to
subsection
1
,
paragraph
“b”
,
is
affirmative,
or
if
the
claim
is
against
any
physician
and
surgeon,
osteopathic
physician
and
surgeon,
dentist,
podiatric
physician,
optometrist,
pharmacist,
chiropractor,
physician
assistant,
or
nurse,
licensed
under
chapter
147,
or
a
hospital
licensed
under
chapter
135B,
arising
out
of
patient
care,
then
the
full
amount
of
the
punitive
or
exemplary
damages
awarded
shall
be
paid
to
the
claimant.
b.
If
the
answer
or
finding
pursuant
to
subsection
1
,
paragraph
“b”
,
is
negative,
and
if
the
claim
is
not
against
any
physician
and
surgeon,
osteopathic
physician
and
surgeon,
dentist,
podiatric
physician,
optometrist,
pharmacist,
chiropractor,
physician
assistant,
or
nurse,
licensed
under
chapter
147,
or
a
hospital
licensed
under
chapter
135B,
arising
out
of
patient
care,
then
after
payment
of
all
applicable
House
File
161,
p.
3
costs
and
fees,
an
amount
not
to
exceed
twenty-five
percent
of
the
punitive
or
exemplary
damages
awarded
may
be
ordered
paid
to
the
claimant,
with
the
remainder
of
the
award
to
be
ordered
paid
into
a
civil
reparations
trust
fund
administered
by
the
state
court
administrator.
Funds
placed
in
the
civil
reparations
trust
shall
be
under
the
control
and
supervision
of
the
executive
council,
and
shall
be
disbursed
only
for
purposes
of
indigent
civil
litigation
programs
or
insurance
assistance
programs.
Sec.
5.
EFFECTIVE
DATE.
This
division
of
this
Act,
being
deemed
of
immediate
importance,
takes
effect
upon
enactment.
Sec.
6.
APPLICABILITY.
This
division
of
this
Act
applies
to
causes
of
action
accrued
on
or
after
the
effective
date
of
this
division
of
this
Act.
DIVISION
II
MEDICAL
ERROR
TASK
FORCE
Sec.
7.
MEDICAL
ERROR
TASK
FORCE.
1.
The
department
of
health
and
human
services
shall
convene
a
task
force
to
review
medical
error
rates
of
licensed
physicians
in
this
state
and
shall
make
recommendations
to
the
general
assembly
and
the
director
of
health
and
human
services
including
recommendations
that
address
options
for
reducing
medical
error
rates,
improvements
in
education
and
training
to
minimize
medical
errors,
and
whether
applicable
penalties
for
medical
errors
and
physician
licensure
review
measures
are
sufficient.
2.
a.
The
task
force
shall
include
all
of
the
following
voting
members:
(1)
The
director
of
health
and
human
services,
or
the
director’s
designee.
(2)
The
director
of
inspections
and
appeals,
or
the
director’s
designee.
(3)
The
executive
director
of
the
board
of
medicine.
(4)
The
ombudsman.
(5)
A
representative
of
the
Iowa
medical
society.
(6)
A
representative
of
the
board
of
regents
affiliated
with
the
university
of
Iowa
hospitals
and
clinics.
(7)
The
commissioner
of
insurance,
or
the
commissioner’s
designee.
House
File
161,
p.
4
(8)
The
attorney
general,
or
the
attorney
general’s
designee.
b.
The
task
force
shall
also
include
four
members
of
the
general
assembly
serving
as
ex
officio,
nonvoting
members,
one
representative
to
be
appointed
by
the
speaker
of
the
house
of
representatives,
one
representative
to
be
appointed
by
the
minority
leader
of
the
house
of
representatives,
one
senator
to
be
appointed
by
the
president
of
the
senate
after
consultation
with
the
majority
leader
of
the
senate,
and
one
senator
to
be
appointed
by
the
minority
leader
of
the
senate.
c.
The
director
of
health
and
human
services,
or
the
director’s
designee,
may
add
members
to
the
task
force
as
necessary
to
complete
the
work
of
the
task
force.
3.
The
department
of
health
and
human
services
shall
provide
administrative
support
to
the
task
force.
The
director
of
health
and
human
services,
or
the
director’s
designee,
shall
serve
as
chairperson
of
the
task
force,
and
shall
schedule
meetings
of
the
task
force
as
necessary
to
complete
the
work
of
the
task
force.
4.
The
task
force
shall
dissolve
upon
submission
of
the
report
to
the
general
assembly
and
the
director
of
health
and
human
services,
but
no
later
than
January
8,
2024.
______________________________
PAT
GRASSLEY
Speaker
of
the
House
______________________________
AMY
SINCLAIR
President
of
the
Senate
I
hereby
certify
that
this
bill
originated
in
the
House
and
is
known
as
House
File
161,
Ninetieth
General
Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN
NELSON
Chief
Clerk
of
the
House
Approved
_______________,
2023
______________________________
KIM
REYNOLDS
Governor