House Study Bill 248


PAG LIN




  1  1           HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO.    
  1  2     BY  (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY RESOLUTION
  1  3                 BY CHAIRPERSON PAULSEN)
  1  4 A Concurrent Resolution requesting the establishment
  1  5    of an interim study committee by the legislative
  1  6    council to conduct a study of issues related to the
  1  7    costs of professional liability insurance for health
  1  8    care providers in Iowa.
  1  9    WHEREAS, medical malpractice insurance covers
  1 10 health care providers and health care facilities for
  1 11 liability claims arising from the examination, care,
  1 12 and treatment of health care patients; and
  1 13    WHEREAS, the cost of medical malpractice insurance
  1 14 has increased, precipitated in part by the growing
  1 15 size of the claims filed and the reduced supply of
  1 16 available insurers; NOW THEREFORE,
  1 17    BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE
  1 18 SENATE CONCURRING, That the legislative council is
  1 19 requested to establish a medical malpractice insurance
  1 20 interim committee.  The purpose of the interim
  1 21 committee shall be to provide regulatory agencies and
  1 22 the general assembly with possible solutions to
  1 23 alleviate problems regarding the availability and
  1 24 affordability of medical malpractice insurance in
  1 25 Iowa.  The interim committee may consider, but not be
  1 26 limited to considering, a broad range of factors
  1 27 affecting the availability and affordability of
  1 28 medical malpractice insurance in Iowa, including the
  1 29 premium amounts charged by medical malpractice
  1 30 insurers, the type of damages awarded in medical
  2  1 malpractice actions, insurance regulatory
  2  2 requirements, and applicable state and federal law.
  2  3    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the legislative
  2  4 council shall select the members of the committee,
  2  5 which shall include representatives of medical
  2  6 malpractice insurers, health care professionals and
  2  7 health care facilities that purchase medical
  2  8 malpractice insurance, attorneys that represent
  2  9 plaintiffs in medical malpractice actions, attorneys
  2 10 that represent defendants in medical malpractice
  2 11 actions, and any other parties or experts as deemed
  2 12 appropriate by the legislative council; and
  2 13    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the interim committee
  2 14 shall submit a report to the general assembly on or
  2 15 before January 15, 2006, regarding the committee's
  2 16 findings and recommended solutions, including proposed
  2 17 legislation, to make medical malpractice insurance
  2 18 more available and more affordable in Iowa.
  2 19 LSB 3030HC 81
  2 20 rh:rj/sh/8