Vermont Lawmakers Ask for Study on Medical Malpractice

Vermont lawmakers may ask the Shumlin administration to produce recommendations for reforming the medical malpractice system in the state with an eye to lowering health care costs.

In debates over health care reform both at the state and federal level, the issue of medical malpractice claims often gets raised, with a particular focus on the defensive medicine doctors are said to perform to prevent potential lawsuits.

As members of the House Health Committee neared completion of their work on a bill designed to put Vermont on the road to single payer health care, they got a visit from the chairman of the Judiciary Committee with a recommendation calling for the malpractice study.

The study would address the cost of defensive medicine, and find ways to lower costs while protecting patients.