TITLE
Recommendation to request City Council to oppose any bills or ballot measures that would weaken the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA), thereby increasing health care costs for state and local governments and limiting patient access to health care services;
Request City Attorney to draft a resolution in opposition to bills or ballot measures that would weaken the MICRA, thereby increasing health care costs for state and local governments and limiting patient access to health care services; and
Request that the City of Long Beach become an official, non dues paying member of Californians Allied for Patient Protection (CAPP), a coalition which is dedicated to supporting MICRA.
DISCUSSION
According to the California Medical Association, "the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 (MICRA) is a series of statutes crafted to ensure that injured patients are fairly compensated, medical liability rates are kept in check, and physicians and clinics can remain in practice treating patients."
When California Legislature enacted MICRA, it included several significant changes to the medical malpractice system in California. MICRA allows patients with justifiable medical malpractice claims to receive the following forms of compensation:
• Unlimited economic damages for past and future medical costs.
• Unlimited damages for lost wages, lifetime earning potential or any other economic losses.
• Unlimited punitive damages.
• Up to $250,000 for non-economic damages. Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages are inherently subjective and often difficult to verify and measure. MICRA's $250,000 ceiling on non-economic damages has proved effective in reducing and stabilizing medical liability insurance costs, which in turn has limited the rate of growth in health care costs and increased access to health care for all Californians.
California's Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act (MICRA) ensures injured patients receive fair compensation...
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