Bill would extend malpractice coverage to volunteer physicians

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, Pa., and others recently introduced legislation to extend the malpractice protections currently provided to paid community health center employees to volunteer medical professionals. House Resolution (HR) 2703 would make health practitioner volunteers eligible for medical malpractice coverage available to health center employees, contractors, and officers through the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).

The bill was the subject of a recent hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. The House passed legislation virtually identical to HR 2703 during the 111th session of Congress (2009-2011). In 2009, the Government Accountability Office released a report concluding the cost of extending FTCA malpractice coverage to health professionals volunteering at health centers would be negligible but could encourage more providers to offer their services at health centers.

Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette, U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee