Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes a medical malpractice claims review panel.

Highlights:

• Establishes a medical review panel consisting of 1 attorney and 3 licensed health care providers to review any proposed malpractice complaint against a health care provider (Secs. 1 & 7).

• Requires a malpractice or malpractice-related claim against a health care provider to be reviewed by a medical review panel before being commenced in court (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes the panel to (Sec. 18):
• Request all necessary and relevant information;
• Consult with medical authorities; and
• Examine reports of other health care providers necessary to fully inform the panel on the issue to be reviewed.

• Requires all parties to have full access to any material submitted to the panel (Sec. 18).

• Authorizes a claimant to initiate a malpractice-related claim against a health care provider and bypass the medical review panel process under the following conditions (Sec. 4):
• The claimant and each party named as a defendant agree that the claim is not to be presented to a medical review panel;
• The agreement is in writing and is signed by each party; and
• The claimant attaches a copy of the agreement to the complaint filed with the court.

Full Bill Text