July 8, 2025 by matray

Below are some headlines and article synopses from the July 2025 issue of Medical Liability Monitor. To read the articles in their entirety, please subscribe today.

Oregon Enacts Nation’s Toughest Law Restricting Corporate Control of Medical Practices
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek last month signed into law the nation’s strictest regulations on healthcare ownership and influence, targeting corporate investment in the state’s medical sector. Senate Bill 951, which took effect June 9, effectively bans management services organizations backed by private equity from owning or controlling medical practices in Oregon. The law marks a decisive move by state lawmakers to curb non-clinical control of medical practices, a growing concern as private equity’s influence in healthcare expands …

Bill to Extend Recoverable Pre-Death Pain and Suffering Damages Through 2029 Passes California Senate
A bill that extends the sunset of provisions in Code of Civil Procedure § 377.34 — which currently permits a decedent’s personal representative or successor in interest to recover noneconomic damages for pain, suffering and disfigurement the decedent experienced before death in survival actions through 2025 — passed the California Senate last month ...

Oklahoma Caps Damages, Adopts Daubert Standard, Streamlines Small Claims
Oklahoma lawmakers restructured the state’s tort landscape with the recent passage of Senate Bill 453, a sweeping measure that caps noneconomic damages, adopts a more defendant-friendly legal framework governing the admissibility of expert witnesses in civil court and streamlines litigation for smaller claims ...

Strong Investment Gains Offset Record Expenses for MPL Specialty Insurers During First Quarter of 2025
In the first quarter of 2025, medical professional liability specialty insurers posted strong investment gains that offset record-high underwriting expenses and continued profitability challenges. While premium growth remained steady and net income stayed positive, insurers faced persistent underwriting losses and rising cost ratios — highlighting the sector’s increasing reliance on investment income to maintain financial stability ...

MSSNY Urges Hochul to Veto Grieving Families Act Again, Cites Liability Costs and Threats to Care Access
The Medical Society of the State of New York is once again calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto the latest iteration of the Grieving Families Act. The recently passed legislation would make noneconomic damages recoverable in wrongful death lawsuits, extend filing deadlines and broaden restrictions on who can sue for wrongful death. Gov. Hochul previously vetoed similar bills twice in 2023 and again in 2024, each time citing concerns about increased insurance costs, economic burden on the state’s healthcare system and its providers, and the need for further study and revisions ...

MPL Insurance Market Experiences Rising Costs, Modest Growth in 2024: MPL Association Sector Report
The medical professional liability insurance industry faced continued under-writing challenges in 2024. Its combined ratio rose to 103.2%, marking the 11th consecutive year without an underwriting profit, according to the Medical Professional Liability Association’s recently released year-end sector report. While direct premiums written (DPW) grew 5.1% industrywide, the modest gain failed to offset rising loss and expense ratios, as many insurers were grappling with post-COVID reserve development and volatility across key market segments.

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