0001|                           SENATE BILL 787
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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|                            LEONARD TSOSIE
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|        FOR THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE COMMITTEE
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO MEDICAL MALPRACTICE; PERMITTING CITIZENS TO SUBMIT
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0012|     CASES FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE NEW MEXICO MEDICAL REVIEW
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0013|     COMMISSION.
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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 <s>[licensed pursuant to New Mexico law
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<s></s>0001| <s>    and]</s> 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.  <s>[An attorney shall submit]</s> A case <u>shall be
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<u></u>0008| <u>    submitted</u> for the consideration of a panel, prior to filing a
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0009|     complaint in any district court or other court sitting in New
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0010|     Mexico, by addressing an application, in writing, signed by the
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0011|     patient or his attorney, to the director of the <u>New Mexico</u>
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0012|     medical review commission.
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0013|               E.  The director of the <u>New Mexico</u> medical review
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0014|     commission <s>[will]</s> <u>shall</u> be an attorney appointed by and
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0015|     serving at the pleasure of the chief justice of the New Mexico
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0016|     supreme court.
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0017|               F.  The chief justice shall set the director's
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0018|     salary and report the <s>[same]</s> <u>salary</u> to the superintendent
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0019|     in his capacity as custodian of the patient's compensation
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0020|     fund."
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0021|          Section 2.  Section 41-5-19 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1976,
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0022|     Chapter 2, Section 19) is amended to read:
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0023|          "41-5-19.  HEARING PROCEDURES.--
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0024|               A.  At the time set for hearing, the <s>[attorney]</s>
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0025|     <u>party</u>  submitting the case for review shall be present and
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0001|     shall make a brief introduction of his case, including a resume
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0002|     of the facts constituting alleged professional malpractice
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0003|     <s>[which]</s> <u>that</u> he is prepared to prove.  The health care pro-
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0004|     
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0005|     vider against whom the claim is brought and its attorney may be
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0006|     present and may make an introductory statement of its case.
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0007|               B.  Both parties may call witnesses to testify
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0008|     before the panel, which witnesses shall be sworn.  Medical
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0009|     texts, journals, studies and other documentary evidence relied
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0010|     upon by either party may be offered and admitted if relevant. 
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0011|     Written statements of fact of treating health care providers
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0012|     may be reviewed.  The monetary damages in any case shall not be
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0013|     a subject of inquiry or discussion.
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0014|               C.  The hearing <s>[will]</s> <u>shall</u> be informal, and no
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0015|     official transcript shall be made.  Nothing contained in this
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0016|     <s>[paragraph]</s> <u>subsection</u> shall preclude the taking of the
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0017|     testimony by the parties at their own expense.
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0018|               D.  At the conclusion of the hearing, the panel may
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0019|     take the case under advisement, or it may request that
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0020|     additional facts, records, witnesses or other information be
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0021|     obtained and presented to it at a supplemental hearing
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0022|     <s>[which]</s> <u>that</u> shall be set for a date and time certain, not
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0023|     longer than thirty days from the date of the original hearing
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0024|     unless the <s>[attorney]</s> <u>party</u> bringing the matter for review
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0025|     <s>[shall]</s> <u>consents</u> in writing <s>[consent]</s> to a longer period.
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0001|               E.  Any supplemental hearing shall be held in the
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0002|     same manner as the original hearing, and the parties concerned
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0003|     and their attorneys may be present."
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0004|          Section 3.  Section 41-5-22 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1976,
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0005|     Chapter 2, Section 22) is amended to read:
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0006|          "41-5-22.  TOLLING OF STATUTE OF LIMITATION.--The running
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0007|     of the applicable limitation period in a malpractice claim
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0008|     shall be tolled upon submission of the case for the
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0009|     consideration of the panel and shall not commence to run again
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0010|     until thirty days after the panel's final decision is entered
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0011|     in the permanent files of the <u>New Mexico medical review</u>
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0012|     commission and a copy is served upon the claimant <s>[and]</s> <u>or</u>
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0013|     his attorney by certified mail."
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