MICRA Cap Increase Rider: Physician Drug-Testing

Prop 46, a California ballot initiative to raise the 1975 non-economic damages cap from $250,000 to $1.1M, includes a rider:  physician drug-testing.  The two are joined in the “Troy and Alana Pack Patient Safety Act of 2014.”  Download pdf here:  Download Troyandalanapackpatientsafetyactof201400202344.  I’m not a fan of non-economic damages caps (though I acknowledge problems with non-economic damages).  Moreover, the cap increase strikes me as an easy call.  The cap hasn’t been raised in 39 years and the increase is just an inflation adjustment; I ran a quick inflation calculation and $250,000 in 1975 is approximately $1.1M.  I do, however, object to the compound question nature of the initiative.  These are very different issues and should be considered separately.  The Sacramento Bee has details.