The malpractice reform proposal was passed by State Representative Chip Baltimore’s House Judiciary Committee during funnel week last week and it is aimed at weeding out any malpractice lawsuits that don’t have merit.

He states that malpractice lawsuits are on the decline for the state, in terms of going to trial.  However, when malpractice lawsuits go to trial, the plaintiff loses 90% of the time.  He says the amount of money to go to trial could be better spent on practicing medicine and uses resources to help patients and healthcare providers.

The other part of the proposal is eliminating the practice of defensive medicine.  Baltimore states that doctors order extra tests out of fear of being sued.  To combat that, Baltimore suggests the idea of evidence based research where doctors can practice medicine based on evidence of previous tests and patients history instead of worrying about getting sued.

Representative Baltimore points out that these two components will hopefully attract doctors to rural Iowa hospitals and clinics.

“We want to make sure that especially in rural Iowa, we have a system that helps us attract doctors and hospitals and clinics and healthcare providers to rural Iowa especially because that’s an area we see a growing need in.”

Baltimore is hopeful that since the proposal made it out of funnel week, that it will be signed into law soon.