Physicians will want to bookmark SB 33 Medical Liability Reforms, in order to track its progress in the NC General Assembly. Senators Tom Apodaca (R, Buncombe, Henderson, Polk), Harry Brown (R, Jones, Onslow) and Bob Rucho (R, Mecklenburg) filed the bill on Wednesday.  The measure would limit non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases and divide trials (“bifurcate”) into two phases – to address questions of liability and monetary damages.

In an address to the North Carolina Chamber on Tuesday, House Speaker Thom Tillis (R, Mecklenburg) revealed that he planned to form a committee to review legal issues and find ways to reduce the regulatory burden on small business in the state. The committee is expected to hold hearings that will include issues involving medical liability reform.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the NCMS announced that it supported SB 33, calling it “a thoughtful package of reasonable, common-sense improvements to state law that will improve the predictability of court cases, make liability insurance more rational, increase patient access to health care, and promote cost savings for the taxpayers of our state and nation.”

Stay updated on SB 33 and other legislation of interest to physicians through the NCMS Website, the Bulletin, and Twitter.