Governor Advises Legislative Committees On Medical Malpractice

Sheridan, Wyoming –

A massive legislative committee is in Sheridan continuing preparations for the upcoming special session. The session was called to address rising medical malpractice insurance rates and how doctors are leaving the state as a result. One of the proposals that will probably come up involves giving subsidies to doctors to bring their malpractice insurance premiums in line with what physicians in surrounding states pay.
The Governor has proposed a subsidy for each doctor in the state to cover up to 25 percent of their premium. But some legislators are concerned that such a move would violate the Wyoming Constitution. O'Donnell says if the state gets some kind of consideration in return and the program is only for the short-term, this would be constitutional.