The bill aims to revise laws related to physician assistants and includes significant amendments to the definition of "health care provider" by explicitly incorporating "physician assistant." It also addresses the limitations on noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases, maintaining a cap of $250,000 for awards related to noneconomic loss stemming from a single incident of malpractice. The bill clarifies that this limitation applies to all claims deriving from injuries to a patient, regardless of whether the claims arise from the same act or multiple acts by one or more health care providers.

Additionally, the bill outlines the process for determining awards, emphasizing that any combination of awards exceeding the $250,000 limit must be reduced accordingly. It specifies that future damages for noneconomic loss cannot be discounted to present value and that the $250,000 limit should not be disclosed to a jury. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 25-9-411
HB0458_1(1): 25-9-411
HB0458_1(2): 25-9-411
HB0458_1(3): 25-9-411
HB0458_1(4): 25-9-411
HB0458_1(5): 25-9-411
HB0458_1: 25-9-411
HB0458_2(1): 25-9-411
HB0458_2(2): 25-9-411
HB0458_2(3): 25-9-411
HB0458_2(4): 25-9-411
HB0458_2(5): 25-9-411
HB0458_2(6): 25-9-411
HB0458_2(7): 25-9-411
HB0458_2: 25-9-411