PA Governor: Med Mal Stabilized

On Thursday, PA Governor Ed Rendell cited statistics that med mal cases have declined 41% since early in the decade, and claimed that the changes are attributable to legal reforms.  In 2002, PA instituted venue restrictions and required a certificate of merit prior to filing suit.  The number of companies offering malpractice insurance in PA has climbed from 3 in 2002 to 57 today.  Because of the changes, Rendell will not renew MCARE, the state-funded insurance subsidy program for physicians.  The legislative counsel for the PA Association for Justice, which represents trial lawyers, said his members were satisfied with the changes because there were no longer calls for caps on damages.  The Philadelphia Inquirer has the story.

–CJR