0001|                           SENATE BILL 1239
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0002|     43rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 1997
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          MICHAEL S. SANCHEZ
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|      FOR THE COURTS, CORRECTIONS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO MEDICAL MALPRACTICE; CHANGING PROCEDURES FOR
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0012|     CERTAIN MALPRACTICE CLAIMS; AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE MEDICAL
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0013|     MALPRACTICE ACT.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  Section 41-5-14 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1976,
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0017|     Chapter 2, Section 14) is amended to read:
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0018|          "41-5-14.  MEDICAL REVIEW COMMISSION.--
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0019|               A.  The "New Mexico medical review commission" is
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0020|     created.  The function of the New Mexico medical review
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0021|     commission is to provide panels to review all malpractice
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0022|     claims against health care providers covered by the Medical
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0023|     Malpractice Act.
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0024|               B.  Those eligible to sit on a panel shall consist
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0025|     of health care providers licensed pursuant to New Mexico law
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0001|     and residing in New Mexico and <s>[the]</s> members of the state
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0002|     bar.
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0003|               C.  Cases <s>[which]</s> <u>that</u> a panel will consider
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0004|     include all cases involving any alleged act of malpractice
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0005|     occurring in New Mexico by health care providers qualified
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0006|     under the Medical Malpractice Act.
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0007|               D.  An attorney shall submit a case for the
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0008|     consideration of a panel, prior to filing a complaint in any
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0009|     district court <s>[or other court sitting in New Mexico]</s>
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0010|     <u>magistrate court or metropolitan court</u>, by addressing an
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0011|     application, in writing, signed by the patient or his attorney,
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0012|     to the director of the <u>New Mexico</u> medical review commission. 
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0013|     <u>Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, when
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<u></u>0014| <u>    a malpractice claim alleges damages of five thousand dollars
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<u></u>0015| <u>    ($5,000) or less, the patient making the malpractice claim is
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<u></u>0016| <u>    not required to submit the case for consideration by the New
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<u></u>0017| <u>    Mexico medical review commission prior to filing a complaint in
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<u></u>0018| <u>    district court, magistrate court or metropolitan court</u>.
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0019|               E.  The director of the <u>New Mexico</u> medical review
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0020|     commission <s>[will]</s> <u>shall</u> be an attorney appointed by and
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0021|     serving at the pleasure of the chief justice of the New Mexico
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0022|     supreme court.
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0023|               F.  The chief justice shall set the director's
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0024|     salary and report the <s>[same]</s> <u>salary</u> to the superintendent
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0025|     in his capacity as custodian of the patient's compensation
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0001|     fund."
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0002|          Section 2.  Section 41-5-15 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1976,
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0003|     Chapter 2, Section 15) is amended to read:
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0004|          "41-5-15.  COMMISSION DECISION REQUIRED--APPLICATION.--
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0005|               A.  No malpractice action may be filed in any court
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0006|     against a qualifying health care provider before application is
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0007|     made to the <u>New Mexico</u> medical review commission and its
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0008|     decision is rendered.  <u>Notwithstanding the other provisions of
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<u></u>0009| <u>    this subsection, when a malpractice claim alleges damages of

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<u></u>0010| <u>    five thousand dollars ($5,000) or less, the patient making the
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<u></u>0011| <u>    malpractice claim is not required to submit the case for
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<u></u>0012| <u>    consideration by the New Mexico medical review commission prior
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<u></u>0013| <u>    to filing a complaint in district court, magistrate court or
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<u></u>0014| <u>    metropolitan court.</u>
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0015|               B.  This application shall contain the following:
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0016|                    (1)  a brief statement of the facts of the
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0017|     case, naming the persons involved, the dates and the
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0018|     circumstances, so far as they are known, of the alleged act
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0019|     <s>[or acts]</s> of malpractice; and
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0020|                    (2)  a statement authorizing the panel to
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0021|     obtain access to all medical and hospital records and
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0022|     information pertaining to the matter giving rise to the
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0023|     application and, for the purposes of its consideration of the
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0024|     matter only, waiving any claim of privilege as to the contents
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0025|     of those records.  Nothing in that statement shall in any way
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0001|     be construed as waiving that privilege for any other purpose or
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0002|     in any other context, in or out of court."
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0003|     
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0004|          Section 3.  Section 41-5-19 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1976,
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0005|     Chapter 2, Section 19) is amended to read:
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0006|          "41-5-19.  HEARING PROCEDURES.--
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0007|               A.  At the time set for hearing, the attorney
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0008|     submitting the case for review shall be present and shall make
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0009|     a brief introduction of his case, including a resume of the
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0010|     facts constituting alleged professional malpractice <s>[which]</s>
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0011|     <u>that</u> he is prepared to prove.  The health care provider
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0012|     against whom the <u>malpractice</u> claim is brought and its
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0013|     attorney may be present and may make an introductory statement
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0014|     of its case.  <u>The patient alleging the malpractice claim may
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<u></u>0015| <u>    be present during the hearing before the panel</u>.
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0016|               B.  Both parties may call witnesses to testify
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0017|     before the panel, which witnesses shall be sworn.  Medical
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0018|     texts, journals, studies and other documentary evidence relied
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0019|     upon by either party may be offered and admitted if relevant. 
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0020|     Written statements of fact of treating health care providers
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0021|     may be reviewed.  The monetary damages in any case shall not be
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0022|     a subject of inquiry or discussion.
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0023|               C.  The hearing <s>[will]</s> <u>shall</u> be informal, and no
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0024|     official transcript shall be made.  Nothing contained in this
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0025|     <s>[paragraph]</s> <u>subsection</u> shall preclude the taking of the
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0001|     testimony by the parties at their own expense.
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0002|               D.  At the conclusion of the hearing, the panel may
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0003|     take the case under advisement or it may request that
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0004|     additional facts, records, witnesses or other information be
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0005|     obtained and presented to it at a supplemental hearing, which
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0006|     shall be set for a date and time certain, not longer than
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0007|     thirty days from the date of the original hearing unless the
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0008|     attorney bringing the matter for review <s>[shall]</s> <u>consents</u> in
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0009|     writing <s>[consent]</s> to a longer period.
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0010|               E.  Any supplemental hearing shall be held in the
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0011|     same manner as the original hearing, and the parties concerned
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0012|     and their attorneys may be present."
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0013|          Section 4.  EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
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0014|     provisions of this act is July 1, 1997.
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