About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

H.R. 1215, Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 1 (March 22, 2017)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo3403 and id is 1 raw text is: CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE March 22, 2017 H.R. 1215 Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary on February 28, 2017 SUMMARY H.R. 1215 would impose limits on medical malpractice litigation in state and federal courts by capping awards and attorney fees, modifying the statute of limitations, and eliminating joint and several liability. CBO expects that enacting H.R. 1215 would, on balance, lower costs for health care both directly and indirectly: directly, by lowering premiums for medical liability insurance; and indirectly, by reducing the use of health care services prescribed by providers when faced with less pressure from potential malpractice suits. Those reductions in costs would, in turn, lead to lower spending in federal health programs and to lower premiums for private health insurance. In total, CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) estimate that enacting the legislation would reduce deficits by about $14 billion over the 2017-2022 period, and almost $50 billion over the 2017-2027 period. Off-budget revenues account for about $2 billion of that reduction. CBO estimates that implementing the legislation would reduce discretionary costs by about $1.5 billion over the 2017-2027 period, assuming appropriations actions consistent with the legislation. CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2028. H.R. 1215 would preempt state laws governing health care lawsuits in the areas of statutes of limitation, joint and several liability, product liability, and contingency fees. Those preemptions would be intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA). The bill also would require courts (including state courts) to direct periodic payments of damages in some circumstances. CBO estimates that the costs of complying with those mandates would be insignificant and well below the threshold established in UMRA ($78 million in 2017, as adjusted for inflation).

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most