LD 1496
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Page 34 of 41 An Act To Reduce Maine's Health Insurance Rates and Expand Consumer Choice ... Page 36 of 41
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LR 541
Item 1

 
maintenance organization.__A health maintenance organization
may offer health plans that exceed the geographic
accessibility guidelines imposed by the superintendent by
Bureau of Insurance Rule Chapter 850 for specialty care and
hospital services, except for emergency hospital and hospital
maternity care, if the health maintenance organization offers
and actively markets health plans that otherwise meet the
standard geographic accessibility guidelines contained in
Bureau of Insurance Rule Chapter 850;

 
PART D

 
Sec. D-1. 24 MRSA c. 21, sub-c. 11 is enacted to read:

 
SUBCHAPTER 11

 
LIMITS ON NONECONOMIC DAMAGES

 
§2991.__Limits on noneconomic damages

 
1.__Noneconomic damages defined.__For purposes of this
subchapter, "noneconomic damages" means subjective, nonpecuniary
damages arising from pain, suffering, inconvenience, physical
impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, emotional stress, loss
of society and companionship, loss of consortium, injury to
reputation, humiliation, other nonpecuniary damages and any other
theory of damages such as fear of loss, illness or injury.

 
2.__Limitation.__In an action for professional negligence as
defined in section 2502, an award of noneconomic damages to a
prevailing party may not exceed $250,000.__If the trial of the
action is by jury, the jury may not be informed of the damage
award limitation established in this section.__If the jury awards
total damages in excess of $250,000, the court shall direct the
jury to establish the portion of total damages awarded for
noneconomic damages. If the portion awarded for noneconomic
damages exceeds $250,000, the court shall reduce the award to
$250,000 unless the court orders a further reduction in
accordance with subsection 3.

 
3.__Powers of court.__This section may not be construed to
eliminate or affect a court's powers of additur and remittitur
with regard to the award of all damages, except that the power of
additur is limited with regard to noneconomic damages to the
maximum amount established in subsection 2.

 
4.__Application.__This section applies to all causes of action
in which a notice of claim is filed on or after the effective
date of this section.


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