HR 534 · 109th Congress 2005–2007, ended

Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005

Introduced Feb 2, 2005 Originated House Sponsor Christopher Cox R-CA

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Feb 25, 2005 Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedFeb 2, 2005
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Help Efficient, Accessible, Low Cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005 -Sets forth provisions regulating lawsuits for health care liability claims concerning the provision of health care goods or services or any medical product affecting interstate commerce.

Sets a statute of limitations of three years after the date of manifestation of injury or one year after the claimant discovers the injury, with certain exceptions.

Provides that nothing in this Act limits recovery of the full amount of available economic damages. Limits noneconomic damages to $250,000. Makes each party liable only for the amount of damages directly proportional to such party's percentage of responsibility.

Allows the court to restrict the payment of attorney contingency fees. Limits the fees to a decreasing percentage based on the increasing value of the amount awarded.

Prescribes qualifications for expert witnesses.

Allows the introduction of collateral source benefits and the amount paid to secure such benefits as evidence. Prohibits a provider of such benefits from recovering any amount from an award in a health care lawsuit involving injury or wrongful death.

Authorizes the award of punitive damages only where: (1) it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that a person acted with malicious intent to injure the claimant or deliberately failed to avoid unnecessary injury the claimant was substantially certain to suffer; and (2) compensatory damages are awarded. Limits punitive damages to the greater of two times the amount of economic damages or $250,000.

Limits the liability of manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and providers of medical products that comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards.

Provides for periodic payments of future damage awards.

Cosponsors 141

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 2, 2005 to Jun 22, 2005; 125 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-FLAnder CrenshawOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-KYAnne M. NorthupOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-WYBarbara CubinOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PABill ShusterOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-COBob BeauprezOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-IDC. L. (Butch) OtterOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NHCharles F. BassOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NCCharles H. TaylorOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PACharles W. DentOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-UTChris CannonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-INChris ChocolaOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NJChristopher H. SmithOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CTChristopher ShaysOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLCliff StearnsOriginalFeb 2, 2005
D-MNCollin C. PetersonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CADana RohrabacherOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CADarrell IssaOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLDave WeldonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CADavid DreierOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CADevin NunesOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-WADoc HastingsOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ILDonald A. ManzulloOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLE. Clay Shaw Jr.OriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CAEdward R. RoyceOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CAElton GalleglyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-VAEric CantorOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NJFrank A. LoBiondoOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-VAFrank R. WolfOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CAGary G. MillerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
D-MSGene TaylorOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CAGeorge RadanovichOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLGinny Brown-WaiteOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-SCHenry E. Brown, Jr.OriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-AZJ. D. HayworthOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-VAJ. Randy ForbesOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-GAJack KingstonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-IAJames A. LeachOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NYJames T. WalshOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NHJeb BradleyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXJeb HensarlingOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLJeff MillerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ILJerry WellerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PAJim GerlachOriginalFeb 2, 2005
D-UTJim MathesonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NJJim SaxtonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-VAJo Ann DavisOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MIJoe KnollenbergOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-SCJoe WilsonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PAJohn E. PetersonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NYJohn E. SweeneyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MNJohn KlineOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NYJohn M. McHughOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-INJohn N. HostettlerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
D-PAJohn P. MurthaOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ILJohn ShimkusOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NVJon C. PorterOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PAJoseph R. PittsOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ILJudy BiggertOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLKatherine HarrisOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXKay GrangerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXKevin BradyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXLamar SmithOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PRLuis G. FortunoOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-GALynn A. WestmorelandOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-COMarilyn N. MusgraveOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-INMark E. SouderOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLMark FoleyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ILMark KirkOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MNMark R. KennedyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TNMarsha BlackburnOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PAMelissa A. HartOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-IDMichael K. SimpsonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHMichael R. TurnerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXMichael T. McCaulOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NJMike FergusonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-INMike PenceOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MIMike RogersOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ALMike RogersOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CTNancy L. JohnsonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHPatrick J. TiberiOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NCPatrick T. McHenryOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHPaul E. GillmorOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXPete SessionsOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-GAPhil GingreyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHRalph RegulaOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CARandy (Duke) CunninghamOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXRandy NeugebauerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ILRay LaHoodOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLRic KellerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-AZRick RenziOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-UTRob BishopOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHRob PortmanOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHRobert W. NeyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NCRobin HayesOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NJRodney P. FrelinghuysenOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MSRoger F. WickerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-KYRon LewisOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MDRoscoe G. BartlettOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MOSam GravesOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXSam JohnsonOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NJScott GarrettOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-WVShelley Moore CapitoOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NYSherwood BoehlertOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NMStevan PearceOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHSteve ChabotOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-IASteve KingOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OHSteven C. LaTouretteOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NYSue W. KellyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NCSue Wilkins MyrickOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TXTed PoeOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-ALTerry EverettOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-COThomas G. TancredoOriginalFeb 2, 2005
D-PATim HoldenOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-PATodd Russell PlattsOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-OKTom ColeOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLTom FeeneyOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-IATom LathamOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MIVernon J. EhlersOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NCVirginia FoxxOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NYVito FossellaOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-MOW. Todd AkinOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CAWally HergerOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-NCWalter B. JonesOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-CAWilliam M. ThomasOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-TNZach WampOriginalFeb 2, 2005
R-FLConnie MackFeb 10, 2005
R-MNGil GutknechtFeb 10, 2005
R-IAJim NussleFeb 10, 2005
R-VAThelma D. DrakeFeb 10, 2005
R-LACharles W. Boustany, Jr.Mar 1, 2005
R-AZJim KolbeMar 8, 2005
R-NYJohn R. "Randy" Kuhl Jr.Mar 8, 2005
R-CAKen CalvertMar 14, 2005
R-VATom DavisMar 15, 2005
R-INDan BurtonApr 6, 2005
R-ALJo BonnerApr 26, 2005
R-ARJohn BoozmanApr 26, 2005
R-TXK. Michael ConawayApr 26, 2005
R-SCJ. Gresham BarrettMay 3, 2005
R-TXKenny MarchantJun 14, 2005
R-SCBob InglisJun 22, 2005

Committees 2

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseJudiciary Committee
Referred Feb 2, 2005
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Feb 2, 2005
Health Subcommittee
Referred Feb 25, 2005

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Feb 25, 2005Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Chairman.
  2. Feb 2, 2005Introduced in House
  3. Feb 2, 2005Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Printed hearings 1

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
Serial No. 109-20ARE SKYROCKETING MEDICAL LIABILITY PREMIUMS DRIVING DOCTORS AWAY FROM UNDERSERVED AREAS?72 pagesSmall Business CommitteeJun 14, 2005

Related bills 5

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 5Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005Identical billJul 29, 2005
S 354HEALTH Act of 2005Related billFeb 17, 2005
S 366Healthy Mothers and Healthy Babies Access to Care Act of 2005Related billFeb 10, 2005
S 367Pregnancy and Trauma Care Access Protection Act of 2005Related billFeb 10, 2005
HR 4838Medical Malpractice Reform Act of 2006Related billMar 17, 2006

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To improve patient access to health care services and provide improved medical care by reducing the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system.
Short Titles as Introduced
Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2005

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 2, 2005Introduced in House

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.