State Rep. Ann Meyer, a Republican from Fort Dodge who just had such a bill passed by the legislature, said her measure will benefit all Iowans by helping to encourage more physicians to practice in the state.

It does that, she said, by putting limits on some, but not all, of the kinds of damages that can be awarded as the result of a successful medical malpractice lawsuit.

The result, Meyer said, will be more certainty for physicians and their insurance providers.

“It is easier for someone to practice with less worry,” she said.

The reform will also make it easier to recruit physicians, she added.

“This will help bring new docs into the state,” Meyer said.

Meyer has introduced a version of the medical malpractice reform repeatedly since 2019.

The state House of Representatives and the Senate both passed it Feb. 8.

Gov. Kim Reynolds was originally set to sign it into law today at UnityPoint Health — Trinity Regional Medical Center. However, that bill signing ceremony was moved to the state Capitol because of a predicted snow storm that was expected to impact the Des Moines metro area today.

Meyer said that there are three types of damages that can be awarded as a result of a malpractice lawsuit. Her bill puts limits on one of those, called non-economic damages.

Non-economic damages are sometimes described as payments for pain and suffering.

Meyer’s bill places a $1 million limit on payments for non-economic damages if the malpractice occurred in a doctor’s office, clinic or outpatient surgery center.

Her bill places a $2 million cap on payments for non-economic damages if the malpractice occurred in a hospital.

Payments for economic damages, which Meyer described as “anything you can put a receipt on,” remain unlimited under her bill. She said those economic damages can include payments for medical bills, loss of income, loss of future income and even payments for remodeling a home to improve accessibility if the malpractice left someone disabled.

Payments for punitive damages would also remain unlimited. Meyer said under her legislation all punitive damages awarded to a plaintiff would go to them. Previously, 75 percent of those damages went to a state trust fund.

Most of the states surrounding Iowa have some limits on malpractice lawsuit awards, Minnesota and Illinois are the exceptions.

Meyer said that during committee meetings on her bill, hospital administrators reported that they have trouble recruiting doctors in part because of concerns about malpractice award payments in the state.