The US House is scheduled to meet today to debate a new bill that will restrict medical malpractice awards and limit the time frame in which a potential plaintiff can file a malpractice lawsuit. The House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee approved the bill, named the "Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Health Care (HEALTH) Act of 2002", in two separate votes earlier this month to bring it to the House floor. As part of the plan, pain and suffering awards would be capped at $250,000 and punitive damages would be restricted to twice the amount of economic damages.

Doctors allege that large medical malpractice verdicts have caused insurance premiums to rise, forcing many physicians to leave their practice. Plaintiff attorneys, however, say insurance companies have raised premiums to cover their losses caused by bad investments over the last few years. While Republicans are expected to get enough votes to pass the bill in the House, opponents believe it will die in the Democratic-controlled Senate.