Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005

Bill: 109-hr-534
Sponsor: Rep. Cox, Christopher [R-CA-48]
Introduced: 2005-02-02 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Accident insurance
Civil actions and liability
Class actions (Civil procedure)
Collection of accounts
Commerce
Conflict of interests
Damages
Drug approvals
Drugs
Evidence (Law)
Federal preemption
Finance and Financial Sector
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Health insurance
Labeling
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal fees
Liability (Law)
Limitation of actions
Medical malpractice
Medical personnel
Medical supplies
Packaging
Product safety
Products liability
Punitive damages
State laws
Vaccines
Workers' compensation

Summary:
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: 
Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005 -Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims concerning the provision of health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce. 
 
 Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions. 
Provides that nothing in this Act limits recovery of the full amount of available economic damages. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility. 
Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded. 
Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses. 
Allows the introduction of collateral source benefits and the amount paid to secure such benefits as evidence. Prohibits a provider of such benefits from recovering any amount from an award in a health care lawsuit involving injury or wrongful death. 
Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000. 
Limits the liability of manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and providers of medical products that comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards.
 
Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards. 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-02-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-02-02
text: Introduced in House