MED-MAL SUBSIDY PROGRAM TWEAKED:

The Maryland House of Delegates has passed a bill to enable doctors to get refunds on their malpractice insurance premiums. The action corrects the medical malpractice reform law approved in a special session last year. The Senate approved the same bill. It now goes to the governor for approval and will go into effect immediately. Republican delegates failed in two attempts to amend the bill by reducing the subsidy to doctors in favor of higher Medicaid reimbursements and repealing the 2 percent health maintenance organization premium tax that lawmakers used to pay for the subsidy of doctors’ insurance.