N.Y., Fla. lawmakers consider Med-Mal damage caps

In New York, the issue is among the most contentious and is tied to the state's budget, which must be completed by April 1. In Florida, the measure approved by the state's appropriation's panel is matched by a similar version moving in the Senate. Both are part of an effort to overhaul Florida's Medicaid program.

The New York Times: Lessons For Albany On Malpractice Limits
As New York lawmakers strive to complete the state budget by April 1, one of the most contentious battles involves whether to include a cap on medical malpractice payments that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed with the support of the state's hospital industry. The measure would limit damages paid by doctors and hospitals for pain and suffering to $250,000, a ceiling that hospitals predict would reduce their insurance premiums by one-fourth and give them the savings necessary to blunt the pain of the sharp cuts in Medicaid spending that Mr. Cuomo has also proposed (Kaplan, 3/24).

Health News Florida: Medicaid Med-Mal Limits Okayed
The [Florida] House Appropriations Committee approved a Medicaid bill that would limit non-economic damages — which are awarded for such things as pain and suffering — to $300,000 in cases where doctors or other providers are at fault for injuries to Medicaid patients. A Senate bill already included a similar limit. In both chambers, the malpractice limits are parts of wide-ranging bills aimed at overhauling the Medicaid system (Saunders, 3/25).