Senate votes down tort reform bill for ob/gyns

Article

Just 14 days after S. 2061 was introduced, the US Senate held a cloture vote on the ACOG-supported medical liability reform legislation. The 48-45 vote effectively closed debate on the Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act in the Senate, according to the electronic newsletter American Health Line (2/20/04).

Among the now-defunct bill's provisions was a cap of $250,000 on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits against ob/gyns. The bill also would have capped punitive damages against ob/gyns at $250,000 or twice the amount of economic damages, whichever is higher.

While ACOG and other supporters of the bill had promoted it as a women's health measure that would help stem the tide of skyrocketing insurance premiums, opponents attributed the problem of skyrocketing premiums to insurers wanting to compensate for investment losses—not to high damage awards in malpractice cases.

Newsletter

Get the latest clinical updates, case studies, and expert commentary in obstetric and gynecologic care. Sign up now to stay informed.

Recent Videos
Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, highlights AMA's new breast cancer prevention guidelines | Image Credit: pcrm.org.
Zachary Wagner, PhD, discusses the harms of bias in reproductive care | Image Credit: ornsife.usc.edu.
Ciera Kirkpatrick, PhD, shows how TikTok is transforming cervical cancer awareness | Image Credit: linkedin.com.
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.